Loser’s past causes campus clamor
Government-recognized organization named
after a civil rights group that formed in Trenton
in the mid-1940s — has spearheaded a campaign to change the name of Paul Loser Hall.

By Mia Ingui
Managing Assistant

“Consultation with entities across
campus indicates that the TCNJ Clinic
is not crucial in meeting campus needs.
Therefore, after much study, the TCNJ
Clinic will be closed at the conclusion
of the 2016-17 Academic Year.”
The staff of the TCNJ Clinic
received this dismissal notice by
email. The staff received no prior
notice to this memorandum that
their place of work, love and healing would be closing.
The TCNJ Clinic provides counseling at low cost for individuals, couples
and families regarding difficulties with
work and school, anxiety, depression,
gender identity and more. It is only $10
per session for students, though. It is the
only location on campus where patients
can receive long-term treatment from
clinicians, who are graduate students
supervised by licensed psychologists.
The Clinic serves 40 to 50 students
per month, and its closing signifies the
loss of a safe space for students and
community members alike.
“This is impacting community
members,” said Katie Warga, a graduate
student interning at the Clinic. “TCNJ is
see CLINIC page 2

Students urge for a name change.

Sydney Shaw / Editor-in-Chief

By Sydney Shaw and Chelsea LoCascio
Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor

Fast forward nearly 20 years after the building’s dedication: This month, a team of six
students unveiled their semester-long research
into the history of Paul Loser, during which
they uncovered documents that indicate the
Trenton superintendent of schools from 1932
to 1955 actively opposed the desegregation of
the region’s schools.
After the documents were discovered, a
newly formed group calling themselves the
TCNJ Committee on Unity — a non-Student

For years, only the rough outlines of Paul
Loser Hall were known. In 1987, Tom Loser
and his wife, Carol, donated a record-setting $1
million to the College, and in appreciation, the
new building, which would house the Office of
Admissions and the School of Nursing, Health
and Exercise Science, was named after Tom’s
father, Paul.

The research
In September, six students began an archival research project on the history of Trenton
education, overseen by Robert McGreevy, a
history professor at the College. They scoured
the Trenton Public Library’s Trentoniana archive, as well as the Trenton Evening Times
archive at the New Jersey State Library, for
McGreevy’s 20th century Trenton history independent research course.
That’s where Kevin Moncayo, a senior history and psychology double major, found a letter written to Paul Loser from a doctor named
Leroy Morris that lead to the discovery of far
more than the team expected. In the letter, Morris asked Paul Loser to stop asking for his support for segregation, since he didn’t personally
believe in the institution. Moncayo shared his
findings with research teammates Tim Osborn,
a senior physics major, and Chris Loos, a sophomore history major.
“This prompted us to look into why Loser
might be trying to label someone as a supporter
of segregation,” Osborn said.
Documents indicate that Loser fought
to keep children of color in New Lincoln
School, the district’s all-black school, even
though Junior High School No. 2 was closer
see LOSER page 3

Alumni speak on sports opportunities Students’ right to

Guido serves as president of the San Francisco 49ers.
By Michael Battista
Staff Writer
In a night filled with laughs
and lessons, the College welcomed back three former students to teach the current class
about post-college careers in
the sports world.
Alumnus Tom McCarthy

(’90), the play-by-play announcer for the Philadelphia Phillies,
moderated a discussion about
the panelists’ current jobs and
how their time at the College
impacted them.
The panelists included alumnus Al Guido (’03), president
of the San Francisco 49ers, and
alumnus Luis Perez (’83), the

former executive vice president
and chief operating officer of
Palace Sports Entertainment,
which represents a number of
Detroit teams and venues.
“It’s been exactly 30 years
since I graduated here,” Perez
said. “What’s happened here is
astounding to me on campus. It
really is a point of pride for me
Opinions / page 10

— like I get proud when I get
the notes about the accomplishments the school is making.”
All three alumni told stories about how they reached
the places they are now. None
of them came into the College
knowing exactly what they
wanted to do, but all three encouraged students to explore
their options to find what suited them best.
Guido said emotional intelligence is equal, if not greater,
than intellectual intelligence.
He credited former Lions football coach Eric Hamilton for
helping him reach the College in the first place since he
persuaded him to come to the
College rather than become an
Army Ranger.
“If someone asked me what
were the things I learned, here
is two things: accountability
and work ethic,” Guido said.
“Being part of the school or
being part of the football team,

vote lost in mail
By Elizabeth Zakaim
Social Media Editor

Ashley Lai, a senior psychology and
music double major, didn’t make it this far
in her academic career without learning to
plan ahead and participating in the election
was no exception.
She knew that being a full-time student, a Brower Student Center employee
and an e-board member of four out of the
five clubs she is in meant she could not go
home in the middle of the day to vote. She
applied for a mail-in ballot in August, yet
did not received it by Election Day or, in
fact, at all.
Lai realized when she checked
her mailbox on Election Day that she
wouldn’t be voting by mail this election.
While she acknowledged that she should
have checked her mailbox sooner, she still
intended to vote.
“I was really frustrated, and I tried calling my county’s office and they told me
that my ballot was mailed at the end of
September and that it wasn’t returned,” Lai

see ALUMNI page 6

Features / page 13

see MAIL page 5

Arts & Entertainment / page 15

Sports / page 24

iCabaret
Students sing compelling
a cappella

Men’s Basketball
Lions avenge last-season
loss against Stockton

See A&E page 15

See Sports page 20

Heroin happening sends students to hospital
page 2 The Signal December 7, 2016

By Ellie Schuckman
Staff Writer

• On Friday, Nov. 4, at approximately 9:50 p.m., a Campus
Police officer was dispatched to a Campus Town parking
lot in reference to a possible fight near a white van. Upon
the officer’s arrival, he observed two white males standing near the driver’s side door of a parked van, police
said. According to reports, one of the two males appeared
to be under the influence of an unknown substance and
had difficulty standing upright. The officer also observed
a red mark in the shape of a hand on the left side of his
face. When the officer ordered the two males to sit down
on the curb, the other male said, “I’m not going to lie to
you, I have a record.” More officers arrived on the scene
and the two males were separated, police said. The male
with the record said he called the other male regarding a
concern for his friend’s safety. He stated that the
male who appeared to be under the influence
“sounded crazy on the phone, so I wanted to
meet up with him.” According to reports, the
male met with his friend in the parking lot and entered the van his friend
was in. His friend began slurring his
words before his eyes rolled to the
back of his head and he fell into the seat, according to
police. The male got out of the car, pulled his friend out
of the car and then laid him down on the ground. The
male stated that his friend was unresponsive, so he began
CPR. According to reports, the unresponsive male had a
slow pulse and his face began to turn blue. At this time,
the male said he began yelling and hitting his friend in an
attempt to wake him up. The unresponsive male then sat
up on his own and took a deep breath in, police said. The
officer asked the male if his friend was under the influence of narcotics to which he replied the other male had
taken heroin. The officer then asked if the male himself
was under the influence of narcotics, but he denied being
under the influence. According to reports, the male admitted to taking nine shots of vodka earlier that evening.
The officer observed him to have constricted pupils,
however, he did not have an odor of alcohol emanating
from his breath or person. At approximately 10:10 p.m.,
Ewing Basic Life Support (BLS) arrived on scene and
evaluated the other male. BLS deemed it necessary he
be transported to the hospital for medical treatment. BLS

then went to evaluate the male who helped his friend.
The male said, “If you were to draw my blood, I would
probably test positive right now… I used heroin about an
hour and a half ago.” Both males were then transported to
the hospital, police said. All of the officers on the scene
observed white wrappers labeled “PANDA” around the
van. At approximately 11:35 p.m., the van was towed
from Campus Town, police said.
• On Friday, Nov. 18, at approximately 9 p.m., a female
came to Campus Police Headquarters to report damage to
her father’s vehicle. She said that between Monday, Nov.
7, at 5 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m., her father’s
vehicle was parked in Lot 13. According to reports, when
she went to the car on Friday, she noticed two scratches on
the trunk’s hood. Two magnetic bumper stickers were removed from the car, as well, police said.
• On Thursday, Nov. 17, at approximately 11:40 a.m., a Campus Police officer
conducting foot patrol through Roscoe
West Hall passed by the Office of Career
Planning when he was stopped by an employee. The employee asked the officer if
he knew if a report had been filed regarding fraudulent
activity against a College student, police said. When the
officer told her that he was unsure, she proceeded to tell
him about the incident. The woman stated that a student
had contacted the Career Center office and that she had
received a suspicious email regarding an internship possibility on LionsLink. Another employee confirmed that
the posted internship was fraudulent, police said. According to reports, an email was sent out to students advising
them of the fraudulent posting. On Wednesday, Nov. 16,
at approximately 4 p.m., a student contacted the Career
Center office in reference to the fraudulent internship. The
initial employee on scene stated that the student received
an email requesting his social security number and other
personal information, police said. The student received a
check for approximately $2,000 and deposited it into his
account. The employee stated that approximately 38 students applied for the posted internship, yet she was unsure how many students went through with the process.
According to reports, at 1:40 p.m., the officer spoke to the
male student who stated that approximately three to four
weeks prior, he applied to the internship. Approximately

one week after applying, he received an email regarding
the job and application process. They requested his home
address for payment purposes, police said. On Tuesday,
Nov. 15, he received an email stating that he would be
receiving a check, which he should then cash and send the
money back to them. According to reports, the student received the check on Wednesday, Nov. 16, for $1,860 and
went to deposit it. He then received the email warning students about the fraudulent internship posting. After contacting the Career Center, the student contacted the bank
and explained the situation, police said. According to reports, the bank employee stated that this was a common
scam and that the student need not worry.
• On Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 2:50 p.m., an officer met with
a student at Campus Police Headquarters who reported a
bike theft. The student stated that between Tuesday, Nov.
22, around noon and Sunday, Nov. 27, at approximately
7 p.m. his bike was stolen from a stairwell in Lot 13. According to reports, the bike was attached to a staircase with
a cable lock. The student was advised to contact Campus
Police if he sees the bike or has any further questions.
There are no suspects at this time, police said.
• On Wednesday, Nov. 30, at approximately 1:45 a.m.,
Campus Police was dispatched to the Travers Hall fifth
floor men’s bathroom, following the report of an intoxicated male. Upon the officers’ arrival, they met with two
Community Advisers who directed them to the bathroom
where an intoxicated male was located. According to reports, the student was visibly intoxicated and there was
vomit on the floor directly outside of the bathroom door.
The intoxicated student directed the officers to his dorm
room where he showed them his driver’s license, police
said. The student admitted to drinking “a couple of shots
of Hennessey.” Further questioning revealed that the student also consumed an unknown amount of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky. According to reports, the student admitted to drinking the alcohol in his dorm room. TCNJ EMS
arrived on scene and evaluated the student, deeming it
unnecessary to provide him any additional medical treatment. The student was issued a summons for underage
drinking, police said.
Anyone with information can contact Campus Police at
609-771-2345.

Clinic / Door closes on long-term care and internships

TCNJ Clinic provides care to about 40 to 50 students each month.
continued from page 1

tied to the community, and its relationship
with the greater community is important to
its reputation. The clinic has served over
1,300 clients and families.”
The clinic’s atmosphere is somber as the
close-knit staff are saddened by the news.
“We’re a family here,” said Jennifer
Sparks, director of TCNJ Clinic. “There are
students who have come here specifically because there is a place where they can do their
internship on campus. Our students and our
clients are really upset.”
Sparks also said people need to understand the difference between the clinic and
the College’s Counseling and Psychological

Services (CAPS).
“It’s important to know that the clinic is
separate from CAPS,” Sparks said. “CAPS
includes all licensed professionals, but myself and who helps me out are the only licensed professionals here at the clinic. All
the counselors are students finishing their
Masters. Our clinicians are new in the field
— excited and passionate about what they
are doing.”
Sparks said CAPS is not the place for students who seek long-term treatment options.
“Because CAPS can’t do long-term (treatment), it becomes complicated to place kids
who are really struggling and need long-term
help,” Sparks said. “This is the only on-campus place for that.”

Randall Carrido / Staff Photographer

Julia McKinnies, a senior special education and English double major, agrees with
Sparks since she benefitted more from the
clinic than CAPS.
“I was extremely saddened to hear that
the Clinic was closing,” she said. “I know
countless people who have benefited greatly
from the clinics services, myself included…
(CAPS) run on a more short-term counseling plan and, from personal experience,
there is not nearly enough time for the
proper rapport to be established between the
patient and the counselor.”
The closing of the clinic has Warga wondering what will happen to the people that
used it.
“The only thing that keeps running

through my head when I get phone calls now
is, ‘What is this student going to do next
year?’” Warga said. “There is already more
demand than can be met with both us and
CAPS. Without us, I don’t know what happens to them.”
Clinical intern Jennifer Peck-Nolte started a petition has for the students to sign and
show their support.
“There have been several student groups
that contacted us and want to be more involved and take up our cause,” Warga said.
According to Peck-Nolte, career and community studies (CCS) students with intellectual disabilities receive aid from the clinic, and
CAPS does not provide the same services.
Ashley Taconet, a senior special education and psychology double major who
works with CCS students, agrees with PeckNolte that CAPS cannot provide close attention to the entire student body of the College
without the help from the clinic.
“I am upset that the clinic is closing,” Taconet said. “I personally have not gone to the
clinic, but know many people who do utilize
their services… The TCNJ Clinic is available
for all CCS students to attend, while CAPS is
not available. Many CCS students, as well as
typical TCNJ students, do not have access to
cars on campus and therefore, cannot travel
off campus for counseling services.”
Peck-Nolte is concerned about not only
the College community, but the Ewing, N.J.,
community that the clinic serves, as well.
“This is impacting community members,”
Peck-Nolte said. “Some of the families that
we serve come here because they don’t have
the financial means. And don’t we all need to
get access to someone who can listen to us
and help us and believe in us?”

December 7, 2016 The Signal page 3

Loser / Hall’s namesake called into question

continued from page 1

to the children’s homes. After this
information came to light in McGreevy’s class, Osborn, Loos and
Moncayo distributed flyers and
petition sheets that called for Loser Hall’s name to change.
“Changing Loser’s name is the
short-term goal, but in the long
term, it’s hoped that (the TCNJ
Committee on Unity)... will be
sustained and able to bring students together across organizational lines to collaborate in action
around social justice issues pertinent to the campus,” said Rosie
Driscoll, a member of McGreevy’s
research team and a junior history
and women’s, gender and sexuality studies double major.
The case
According to Hedgepeth and
Williams v. Board of Education, Trenton, NJ, parents Gladys
Hedgepeth and Berline Williams
sued the Trenton Board of Education in 1943. Their children — Janet and Leon, respectively — lived
only two blocks from Junior High
School No. 2, but were, instead,
forced to attend the all-black New
Lincoln School.
Court documents state that
New Lincoln School was significantly farther away than Junior
No. 2, and the classes and resources it offered were far inferior. All of Janet and Leon’s white
neighborhood peers were allowed
to attend Junior No. 2 without resistance. In 1944, the case reached
the New Jersey Supreme Court,
where Paul Loser was called to
testify. Trenton NAACP lawyer
Robert Queen, who represented
the parents, questioned Paul Loser
on his role in assigning students to
New Lincoln School.
In the context of history, Trenton’s school segregation might
not seem too unscrupulous. After all, segregation was the norm

Sydney Shaw / Editor-in-Chief

Loser Hall greets guests near the College’s entrance.
across the country at the time. But
in the case of Trenton and Paul
Loser, segregation violated the
district’s own written policy, as
well as state law.
“The law states no child between the ages of 4 and 20 years
shall be excluded from any public
school on the grounds of his religion, nationality or color,” Queen
told Loser in a hearing, according
to the case files.
After Paul Loser acknowledged this fact, Queen continued
his questioning.
“Aren’t both Leon Williams
and Janet Hedgepeth excluded
from Junior Two on the ground of
color?” Queen said.
“Yes, in accordance with the
policy and philosophy of education,” Paul Loser responded.
When Queen asked if separate
schools should be set up “for such
minority groups in the city as Italians, Poles, Jews, Hungarians,
and Germans,” the elder Loser
said that “he had not given this

proposal any thought.”
The State Supreme Court ultimately sided with Queen, Hedgepeth and Williams, and the Court’s
decision struck down segregation
across the state. In 1991, the Trenton Board of Education changed
the name of Junior High School
No. 2 to Hedgepeth-Williams
School to honor the mothers’ fight
for equality.
“We think it clear that the children are unlawfully discriminated
against. It is unlawful for Boards of
Education to exclude children from
any public school on the ground
that they are of the negro race,” the
New Jersey State Supreme Court
wrote in its decision.
A decade later, the case was cited in a much more impactful case,
Brown v. Board of Education of
Topeka, KS, in which the Supreme
Court struck down school segregation throughout the U.S.
Despite the legal defeat, documents show that Paul Loser continued to delay the integration

of public schools in Trenton. In
response to his reluctance, an organization known as the Trenton
Committee for Unity (TCU) was
formed in order to place additional pressure on the board. In late
April 1945, upset parents began
writing letters to Paul Loser and
the board to decry the continued
segregatory policies.
During the TCU’s administrative committee meeting that
month, Paul Loser “maintain(ed)
that the majority of colored parents wish their children to attend
Lincoln School; that Negro Educators of the highest authority say
that segregation in the junior high
school period is best,” according
to the meeting minutes.
The reaction
“I find it egregious that a school
that markets itself as an inclusive
and — in many ways — progressive public institution has a building on campus in honor of a segregationist who would not have

wanted a significant portion of our
community to be here,” Driscoll
said. “As someone who is fairly
connected on campus and trained
in grassroots organizing, I feel responsible for engaging in action to
raise awareness and engage others
in a campaign to change the name.”
College President R. Barbara
Gitenstein addressed concerns
through an email sent to the campus community on Thursday,
Dec. 1.
“In the last two days, aspects
of Dr. Paul Loser’s past have been
brought into focus on campus. The
information that was shared first in
posters and later in news articles
is due to the diligent archival research of several of our students,”
the email reads. “Our students
documented that he espoused beliefs that run counter to our commitment to an inclusive campus.”
Gitenstein wrote that she hopes
to hold a campus presentation for
students, faculty and staff to weigh
in on the matter.
“TCNJ must be thoughtful in
understanding the full historical
context but forthright in confronting the facts,” she wrote. “We must
decide what is the most productive
plan of action when we learn that
our campus has honored someone
whose belief system is inconsistent with our mission, including
building an inclusive community
of learners.”
College spokesperson Dave
Muha said such a meeting probably won’t be feasible until the
spring semester begins in January.
“The conversation that we’re
about to begin is not a debate
about whether or not to change a
building name,” Muha wrote in an
email. “The dialog will be a sharing of what the students learned
through their research, an opportunity to consider additional information, as appropriate, and a processing of what this means to us as
a community.”

SFB approves funds for three spring CUB events

By Olivia Rizzo
Staff Writer

The Student Finance Board (SFB) looks to the future as
it grants funding for some of the most highly anticipated
events of the spring semester.
The College Union Board (CUB) received
funding for three of its largest events for the spring
semester. The organization’s Spring Lecture was
fully funded the amount of $28,996.
“CUB’s Spring Lecture always successfully attracts a large amount of students based on the quality and fan
base of the entertainers. The lectures will appeal to different
types of students by sticking to the traditional but successful
and popular topic of discussion that the TCNJ community
has expressed interest in pop culture and the entertainment
industry,” the proposal packet said.
The organization was fully funded $1,850 for its Spring
Comedy Show. CUB’s annual comedy show attracts a large
number of students. In previous years, comedians such as
John Mulaney, Bo Burnham and Nick Offerman have visited the College.
The cost of the talent, agency fee, hospitality, creative
publicity as well as building and security fees are covered
by funding, for both events.
The Spring Lecture and Spring Comedy Show will take
place on separate evenings during the spring semester in
Kendall Hall.
The Spring Concert received $191,243 in funding.
CUB’s annual concert is the largest concert of the year,
bringing in a large portion of students at the College.
“We aim to make this concert one of our largest and most
high-energy events of the year. We plan on making this

year’s concert even better than ever before,” the proposal
packet read.
Funding covers the cost of talent, staffing and security,
catering and hospitality for staffers, and water giveaways.
The Spring Concert will take place in April in the Student
Recreation Center.
Chi Upsilon Sigma was fully funded $750
to host its 2017 winter retreat. The retreat allows the organization to plan and organize
their spring semester events, as well as providing a bonding experience for older sisters
and newer members.
TCNJ Musical Theatre was fully funded $1,000 for its

spring production of WIRED.
“WIRED is a 24-hour play competition involving the
writing, casting, producing and staging of several plays,”
the proposal packet read.
Funding for the event will cover the costs of Library
staff supervision, along with costumes, props and food for
all participants.
WIRED will take place within the first weeks of the
spring semester.
Even though SFB agrees to finance certain events, there is
no guarantee these events will take place. The approval only
makes the funds available.

SFB grants funding for CUB’s lecture, concert and comedy show in the spring.

Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor

76933
page 4 The Signal December 7, 2016

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When you’re young, you often
feel invincible. Those who are fortunate enough to be in good health
often shrug off risky behavior with
no further reasoning than “Nothing
bad will happen to me.” Scott Fried
had the same thought the first time
that he had unsafe sex with another
man. As he would later find out, he
was wrong.
“Nothing bad ever happens the
first time, right?” Fried asked the
audience in the Physics Building.
Unbeknownst to him at the time,
Fried’s partner was HIV positive,
and the encounter would change
Fried’s life forever.
Fried has been HIV positive
for 29 years and travels around the
country to educate people about the
virus. A proud Jewish-American
with a youthful smile, Fried combatted his positive diagnosis with
an even more positive attitude.
In honor of World AIDS Day on
Thursday, Dec. 1, PRISM hosted
Fried as he shared tender and humorous anecdotes.
Fried opened the event with
some kind words to the audience.
“You are a beautiful generation,”
Fried told the audience. “Each and
every one of you are beautiful and
deserves to be alive.”
Fried believes most of our problems come from the part inside us
that feels unloved or insecure. By
appealing to this side of people,
Fried hopes they will feel strong
enough to not be pressured into unsafe sex.
As a gay man, Fried has been
subject to discrimination throughout
his life. The first standout moment
was in 1981, when Fried was at

David Colby / Photo Assistant

Fried entertains students with a blend of humor and touching anecdotes.

George Washington University. He
was having a great time for the first
few weeks until, one day, he found a
picture taped to his door.
“It was a picture of a muscular
guy in a G-string,” Fried said. “In
black ink someone wrote, ‘Hey
Scott, this picture is for you. I love
you, fag.’”
The anonymous message shook
Fried to his core, and he transferred
to New York University soon after to study dance. By the time
he graduated, the AIDS epidemic
throughout the U.S. was in full
swing. Many groups were being
blamed for the spreading of the virus, including homosexuals.
Still, Fried told himself, “It won’t
happen to me.”
By 1987, Fried was working a starting position on an offBroadway show set. One day, the
carpenter on the set approached
him out of nowhere and said, “I
know your secret. You should call
me sometime” and gave Fried his

phone number. Fried was both
taken aback and intrigued.
“It was such a new feeling,”
he said. “He seemed dangerous
and attractive. It was exciting. Do
you ever go to a restaurant and the
waitress tells you, ‘Don’t touch that
plate. It’s hot.’ How many of you
touch the plate anyway?” he asked
and most of the audience members
raised their hands.
He eventually called the man
and a few days later, Fried found
himself going to his apartment.
Inside, the man sat down at a keyboard and played a song he said he
wrote for Fried.
“The song sucked,” Fried said.
“And I knew he was lying. He didn’t
write that song for me, but when he
asked me if I liked it, I told him it
was great. Our first real interaction
was predicated on lies.”
Fried asked the man if he had
ever been tested for HIV, and the
man told him that he had been tested six weeks prior. He didn’t ask

what the results of the test were,
and even if he did, a six-week-old
test could have been totally irrelevant if he had unprotected sex since
then. In addition, neither of them
had a condom.
“I didn’t even care what the results of the test were,” Fried said. “I
was willing to go so far for someone that knew my secret just to feel
comfortable again. I was at the intersection of risk and need, and I didn’t
know how to say, ‘No.’”
A few weeks later, Fried began
developing sores on his stomach
and feel ill. He went to get tested for
HIV among other diseases, and his
partner was upset that he did so.
“He told me that if I ever told
someone that he infected me with
AIDS he would kill me,” Fried said.
“Then he moved to (Los Angeles),
and I never saw him again.”
When Fried’s HIV test came
back positive, he asked himself if
he was finally ready to accept who
he was.

“I got infected with HIV because I didn’t know if I was
enough,” Fried said. “No one ever
came to my school to tell me that
I’m beautiful.”
Fried is thankful to live in an
age in which one with HIV can
live with few inhibitions. Thanks
to daily medication, his HIV count
is so low that the virus is unable to
replicate. He is classified as “positive and undetectable.” Fried said if
he stopped taking his medicine tomorrow, the virus would kill him in
about six months.
He spoke highly of post-exposure prophylaxis pills that act as
a preventative measure for those
who fear that they may have been
infected. When taken within 48
hours of having unsafe sex, it can
be extremely effective in stopping
the transmission of HIV. He also advocated for clean needle exchange
programs that would curb the rising HIV rates in areas with rampant
drug addiction problems.
Fried closed the evening with a
slideshow of his friends who have
died from AIDS.
“The moments we create with
each other are eternal,” Fried said.
“I know some of you may have felt
awkward hearing these things. My
friends wished for more time to do
things like this. All the awkwardness
leads to healing.”
Few have witnessed as much
healing firsthand as Fried, who said
Jonathan Larson, author of the play
“Rent,” used to sit in on their HIV
group therapy sessions. It was there
that one of Fried’s friends said, “I’m
not afraid of dying. I’m afraid of losing my dignity.”
Now, Fried is making sure that
America’s youth will never have to
face that fear again.

Mail / Some students’ votes never reached the ballot box

Some students are not able to vote in person.
continued from page 1
said. The secretary told her there was no
way she could vote unless she drove all the
way back home.
Lai vented her frustration on Facebook
where she found an unexpected solution.
Someone commented on her post, suggesting she call a voter protection hotline.
From there, she was told to call a lawyer
from the American Civil Liberties Union,
which, according to its website, works to
defend citizens’ constitutional rights. Lai
was given a lawyer free of charge, and he
defended her right to vote in court.

AP Photo

“I signed some forms, and he went in
front of a judge,” Lai said. “In the end, I
was able to vote via email.”
Voting by email is usually reserved for
people serving overseas in the military, but
in Lai’s case, the judge made an exception,
and she was able to vote in the election.
When trying to figure out who is at fault,
sophomore biology major Jessica Kopew
did not blame the College or her county
clerk’s office in Camden, N.J. She did not
receive her ballot until two days after the
election. She said she had applied for it in
either late September or early October.
“It could be Camden County itself, but

I know plenty of people who don’t live in
my county who didn’t get their mail-in ballot, so I think it’s the post office,” she said.
Anne-Marie Manko, the Camden County supervising elections clerk, said students
who called to complain to the elections office about their ballots were those who applied too late. She said students also have
to consider that the College’s mail system
does not operate on weekends, and that the
applications must be submitted at least a
week before the election.
However, both Kopew and Lai said
they did abide by those policies and did not
receive their ballots on time. Lai said her
only regret was waiting until Election Day
to check her mailbox.
“If I do an absentee ballot again, I’m
going to know this time that I should be
getting it weeks in advance,” Lai said. “So
if I don’t, I know to call in advance.”
Regardless of who is at fault, Lai said
she was very annoyed when she realized
she could not vote in the election.
She knew that a lot of other college students who also did not get their ballot on
time. Lai said all of the mail-in ballots that
did not come in time for the election could
have made a difference.
The Supervisor of Mailing and Receiving Services at the College, Sebastiano
Carnevale, denied that the late ballots were
the College’s fault. Carnevale said the College gets its mail from the West Trenton
Post Office around 9 a.m., and the mail
gets distributed to the residence halls the
same day that it arrives in the mailroom.
He said he saw a lot of ballots in the
mail being sent and received. While he

does occasionally get some service complaints, he did not receive any complaints
from students about their ballots not being
mailed to them on time.
Halbert C. Clark, the postmaster of the
West Trenton Post Office, said he did not
have time to discuss the issue, while other
post office representatives could not be
reached to comment.
There are other ways mail-in ballots
might never reach their destination besides
getting lost in the mail. According to npr.
org, some applications weren’t accepted
because they were filled out incorrectly or
the signature on the ballot did not match the
one on people’s voter registration forms.
Even if the ballots had been sent out on
time, there was still room for error somewhere down the line.
According to cavotes.org, mail-in ballots that are mailed must be postmarked on
or before Election Day and received by the
appropriate county elections office no later
than three days after Election Day.
Some county elections offices allow
their website users to check if their mail-in
ballots were received. The application for
the ballot must be received by mail at least
seven days before the election.
Lai said a lot of her friends were fed up
with the application process. They didn’t
vote because they didn’t feel like going
through the hassle.
“I know some people don’t even bother
with the application because they find it
too annoying,” she said. “My friends have
been throwing out this term ‘voter suppression.’ It’s so difficult for you to vote, and so
you end up not wanting to vote.”

A panel of alumni discusses how the College helped them break into sports.

continued from page 1

the quote-unquote brotherhood of
lifting each other up through tough
times. I was one who didn’t do so
well in high school, I had a bad year
that I went through academically
and sort of set me back. My teammates really were an extension of
my family.”
Both Perez and Guido stressed
the importance of communicating
and working with others as a team
to succeed in the sports industry.
McCarthy, whose two sons currently attend the College and participate in both baseball and the Sports
Information office, said opportunities available at the College give
students a chance to learn what it is
like to hold positions outside of being a student.
“The advantage now is that
there’s more to do,” McCarthy said.
“They’ve always had students involved in the Sports Information department, but I think Mark Gola has

done a great job in not only getting
(my sons) involved, but also giving
them the responsibilities to do it.”
Both Perez and Guido were
members of Lions athletics, playing
on the baseball team and football
team, respectively, during their time
here. They agreed that the experience had an impact on them.
“I’ve learned as much from that
experience here than I did inside a
classroom,” Perez said. “You talk
about taking a group of people
(with) very different backgrounds,
different goals, different motivations, different styles and bringing
them together to go and capture a
common goal. There’s so much that
I’ve learned from my time here that
I apply now.”
The alumni also discussed how
the vastly changing sports world
has not only affected the field play,
but the business of sports, as well.
Guido said young people need to
understand how each major sports
league is run differently.

For example, Guido pointed
out how the NFL relies on revenue
from the entire league prospering,
and Perez followed up with how
the NBA mostly relies on revenue
coming from the team itself.
After the talk, all three members
fielded a few questions from the
audience ranging from the recent
debates over NCAA athletes being
compensated to how the creation or
moving of teams affects the sports
world from a business sense.
When it was over, Guido said he
hopes his words, along with the stories and advice given by the rest of
the panel, can help lead students into
a career they care about.
“Talking to people who have an
interest in the world of sports, I feel
like I can try and help however I
can,” Guido said. “If I was able to
provide some type of advice tonight
that leads itself to someone going
and looking and searching out a job
opportunity that they’re passionate
about then I’ll take that as a win.”

Student Government (SG)
approved a new club, the Between the Covers Book Club,
and passed a new bill that
would offer current
members two levels
of membership in SG.
SG approved of
Between the Covers Book
Club, making it the first and
only official book club at the
College. Rebecca Ramp, a
sophomore English major,
started the club with the goal of
encouraging students on campus to read more.
“It’s just a pretty relaxed
setting where… you can come
if they read the book — or even
if they didn’t — and just talk
about what they liked about
it or what they didn’t,” Ramp
said. “I know, personally, why
I wanted to start this club is
because not a lot of my friends
read so I would read a really
good book and want someone
to talk to about it.”

Members will not have to
purchase books since Ramp
will pick up copies of the books
from the Ewing, N.J., branch
of the Mercer County Library
herself. Ramp is hoping that
once the club’s membership
increases, the group
will be able to start doing more activities like
trivia nights.
Bill BF2016-07 was also
passed by SG during its meeting. This bill now offers SG
members two different levels
of membership: general and
associate. Associate members
will have to meet a certain
level of accountability, as decided by a point system, or
they will be dropped down to
a general member.
General members will not
be allowed to participate in
debates, but they will be able
to sit in on them. They will
also be allowed to sit in on the
closed session at the end of
every meeting, but the President now has the power to ask
these members to leave.

Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor

Students discuss the Between the Covers Book Club.

TCNJ EMS earns recognition at conference for exploits
By Ashton Leber
Staff Writer
The TCNJ Emergency Medical Services
(EMS) team accepted the 2016 New Jersey
Outstanding Volunteer EMS Agency award
at the New Jersey Statewide Conference for
EMS at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City,
N.J., on Friday, Nov. 18.
Alumnus Stephen Vetrano (’94), the
medical director of TCNJ EMS, nominated
the group to the New Jersey Office of EMS,
which hosts the event every November.
The group was one of 10 EMS volunteer agencies from municipalities across the
state that were nominated for the award.
“The award means a lot to us because it’s
great to be recognized by the state of New
Jersey for all of the work that we do,” said
Kaitlyn Dickson, president of TCNJ EMS
and a senior chemistry major.
TCNJ EMS was founded in 1998 as a

student club and is now recognized under
the division of Campus Police.
The College’s EMS responding team
is composed entirely of student volunteers
who are either certified in First Aid, EMT
or both, providing its services to ensuring
campus safety.
“This award just reassures for me that
TCNJ EMS is truly a top-notch emergency
medical agency in the state of New Jersey,”
said Scott Sferra, supervisor of TCNJ EMS.
“I’m very happy for each member of the organization that made this award possible.”
After 20 years in EMS, Sferra said TCNJ
EMS provides some of the best care he has
seen in the emergency response field.
The group is funded through the College
with its own uniforms, equipment and vehicles, according to Dan-anh Tran, chief of
TCNJ EMS and a senior psychology major.
Throughout the school year, students
volunteer on weeknights, responding to

the campus’s 9-1-1 calls starting on Sundays from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. and 24 hours
on the weekends.
The response room is located in Decker
Hall, where the student volunteers work on
homework and can sleep while waiting to
be dispatched. A majority of the calls are
due to incidents involving an intoxicated
person, according to Dickson.
If a student is interested in becoming a
part of TCNJ EMS, but is not qualified, they
can become an auxiliary member who helps
with campus outreach, fund-raising and other
administrative responsibilities, Tran said.
Dickson started as an auxiliary member
of TCNJ EMS in the spring of her freshman year and took classes to become a
certified emergency medical technician
(EMT) that summer.
Now serving as president, Dickson has
watched members of her squad grow and
learned from her team members, too.

“I love everyone on the squad, and I love
being around people who are so dedicated,
self-sacrificing and eager to help,” she said.
Dickson hopes to pursue a career in
the medical field and will apply the skills
and qualifications she has learned through
TCNJ EMS.
In addition to serving the College’s
community, TCNJ EMS promotes health
and wellness, and teaches hands-only CPR
classes throughout the academic year.
“Both past and present members have
put a great amount of time into constantly
improving TCNJ EMS,” Dickson said.
Vetrano has seen many changes since
he joined the TCNJ EMS team when he
was a student at the College. Vetrano has
many hopes and aspirations for the program’s future.
“My goal is to improve the system one
class at a time, one squad at a time, one
EMT at a time,” Vetrano said.

Photos courtesy of Ian Malik

December 7, 2016 The Signal page 7

Nation & W rld

Eleven injured in Ohio State University attack

AP Photo

The attack remains an ongoing investigation.

By Ashton Leber
Staff Writer

At least 11 people were injured on the morning of
Monday, Nov. 28, at Ohio State University (OSU) after a student ran over pedestrians with a car and then
stabbed passersby with a butcher knife, according to
The New York Times. A campus police officer then shot

and killed the man suspected of committing the violent
acts, OSU Public Safety Director Monica Moll said at
a press conference on Monday.
Campus police officer Alan Horujko responded to
the call less than a minute after the dispatch at 9:52
a.m. and shot the suspect seconds after he exited his
vehicle, according to Moll.
“We believe the threat was ended when the officer
engaged the suspect,” Moll said. “We’re very fortunate that an OSU (police department) officer was there
and took action and we believe that injuries were minimized as a result of that.”
Abdul Razak Ali Artan, 18, was a logistics management major of Somali descent at the university.
According to The New York Times, he graduated cum
laude with an associate of arts degree and was on the
Columbus State Community College’s Dean’s List before transferring to OSU.
The victims’ identities have not yet been released,
but they remain in the hospital with injuries while one
is in critical condition, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Andrew Thomas said at the press conference.
OSU Police Chief Craig Stone said the incident is
still an ongoing investigation, but was definitely not
an accident.
“To go over the curb and strike pedestrians and then
get out and start striking with the knife — that was on
purpose,” Stone stated during the press conference.

Student Jacob Bower told CNN he saw the attacker
on campus by Watts Hall where the incident took place.
“He pulled a large knife and started chasing people
around, trying to attack them,” Bower said.
According to CNN, the university sent an emergency alert out to students at 9:56 a.m.: “Buckeye Alert:
Active Shooter on Campus. Run Hide Fight. Watts
Hall. 19th and College.”
Students ran for shelter at numerous locations
throughout the campus. Student Cydney Ireland spoke
about the incident to WBNS-TV from a restroom.
“I’m a little shaken up at first,” Ireland told WBNS.
“I do feel safe based off the room I’m in.”
Fox News reported the alert was lifted at approximately 11:30 a.m.
According to the same news outlet, authorities said
the FBI is currently investigating whether or not the
attack was related to terrorism and are searching for
others who may have been linked to the incident.
The university is one of the largest in the nation with
approximately 60,000 students currently enrolled at the
main campus in Columbus, Ohio, according to CBS.
OSU President Michael Drake announced at the
press conference that he plans to visit those who were
injured in the attack.
“I want to give our thoughts and prayers and hopes
and wishes for speedy recovery to all those who were
injured,” Drake said.

Castro dies at age 90 after 10 years of poor health
By Sarah Pawlowski
Staff Writer
Cuban revolutionary and dictator Fidel Castro passed away on Friday, Nov.
25, at the age of 90.
His brother, Raúl, reported his death to the
Cuban people on the morning of Saturday,
Nov. 26.
“With profound pain I come here to inform our people, our friends of America and
the world, that today — 25 Nov., 2016, at
10:29 p.m. — died the chief commander of
the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz,”
Raúl Castro said.
The Cuban government declared a nineday period of mourning after the news of
Castro’s death broke, calling the period
“Duelo Nacional,” which translates to “national mourning,” according to The New York
Times. The same news source reported that
flags will be flown at half-staff and public
activities will be suspended during this time.
Those who benefitted from Castro’s early
political reforms are mourning his death
while those who were born into the period

of Castro’s later, more restrictive rule do not
share the same allegiance to him, according
to The New York Times. The same news outlet reported that Castro appealed greatly to
the lower, laboring classes in Cuba by promising them better working conditions.
Castro was also responsible for giving
property to poorer citizens and decreasing unemployment through government spending,
according to the The New York Times. Despite
his popular social programs, Castro lost favor
among his people through the Cuban Missile
Crisis and United States embargo, The New
York Times reported. The same news source
reported that as Castro struggled to keep the
island nation from American influence, his
policies turned authoritarian.
A plethora of world leaders have released
statements in response to Castro’s death. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote
on his official website that Castro held “tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban
people” and Castro was a “remarkable leader.”
Despite America’s historically tense relations with Cuba, President Barack Obama offered his condolences in the wake of Castro’s

The Cuban people have mixed reactions after Castro’s death.

death, according to USA Today.
“Today, we offer condolences to Fidel Castro’s family, and our thoughts and
prayers are with the Cuban people,” Obama
said. “For nearly six decades, the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba was
marked by discord and profound political
disagreements. During my presidency, we
have worked hard to put the past behind us,
pursuing a future in which the relationship
between our two countries is defined not by
our differences but by the many things that

AP Photo

we share as neighbors and friends.”
There was a two-day memorial ceremony held for Castro on Monday, Nov.
28, and Tuesday, Nov. 29, in Cuba’s Plaza
de la Revolución, according to The New
York Times. A public memorial mass in Havana occurred at the Jose Marti Revolution
Square on Tuesday evening, CNN reported.
Castro’s remains were cremated and transported on the reverse route Castro used
when taking control of the island in 1959,
according to CNN.

New Orleans shooting kills one and injures nine
French Quarter on Bourbon
Street. Bourbon Street was especially crowded on Saturday
night due to the Bayou Classic
College football game, which
had ended a few hours prior
and a few miles from where the
shooting took place, according
to NBC News.
The cause of the shooting
that occurred around 1:30 a.m.
is unclear. According to NBC
News, the most plausible theory
is that an argument between
two men in the street became
so violent that it escalated into
AP Photo
a shooting.
People mourn Toliver’s death.
The victims of the shooting were
By Danielle Silvia
10 people were shot in New Or- two women and eight men, ranging
Staff Writer
leans on Sunday, Nov. 27.
from 20 to 37 years old. The one faAccording to ABC News, tality, 25-year-old Demontris ToliThere was a casualty after the shooting happened in the ver, was a resident of Lafayette, La.

Toliver was an aspiring tattoo artist
who lived a “promising life,” New
Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu
said, according to CNN.
The 40 police officers who
responded to the shooting and
tended to the victims were already in the area for the football
game, NBC News reported.
“Shots rang out, we responded,” said Michael Harrison, Superintendent of the New Orleans
Police Department. He did not
know the cause of the shooting,
according to NBC News.
The police officers are still
working on tracking down the
perpetrators, however, CNN reported that law enforcement has
been making progress on who
they believe is responsible for
the event.

At the scene of the incident,
police officers arrested two men
for illegally carrying weapons,
including firearms. Additionally, 11 people were arrested over
the weekend in New Orleans for
carrying illegal items like guns.
According to CNN, Harrison
said despite the shooting, police
officers in the area were “vigilant and prepared” throughout
the weekend.
Landrieu believes this shooting speaks to a larger issue
throughout the country.
“Totally unacceptable. The
violence continues to spin out
of control with people brandishing weapons whenever they
think they can. It’s really unfortunate,” Landrieu said, according to NBC News.

page 8 The Signal December 7, 2016

December 7, 2016 The Signal page 9

Editorial

Making memories
should mean more
than giving gifts

When my supervisor approached our staff this week and asked if
we would be interested in doing a Secret Santa, I was surprised to see
one of my colleagues on the verge of tears.
“I don’t have the money,” she said. “I’m begging you guys —
please can we do something else?”
The thick-rimmed glasses that framed her face couldn’t hide the
tears that began to spill over. Finances were tight, she explained.
Christmas was fast approaching, and she was expected to buy gifts
for every member of her family, second cousins included. Simply
put, she didn’t have the money to spare for Secret Santa.
So, we scrapped the idea of gift giving and settled on decorating
each other’s clipboards instead. But as I walked out of our staff meeting that night, the moment stuck with me.
In the four months we had worked together, I had never seen my
colleague cry. She was always bursting with positivity during tough
times and was, without fail, the first person to step forward and lend
a helping hand.
She had demonstrated time and time again that she cared for each
member of the staff and didn’t need to buy us any gifts to prove it. Yet
in American culture, materialism is often associated with meaning.
Every time a birthday or holiday rolls around, we break the bank
buying gifts. But for many students at the College, bank accounts
are already low. Between buying overpriced textbooks at the start
of the semester and getting groceries each week, spare money can
be scarce.
Perhaps it’s time to let go of the antiquated notion that the amount
of money you spend on a person correlates to how much you care for
them. Surely it is the memories we make, not the materials we give
that truly matter.
I know I can’t remember half of the gifts I was given for Christmas last year, but ask me to name a fond memory for every friend
and family member I received a gift from and I could talk for hours
on end.
As the holiday season approaches, let’s remember to be grateful
for the loved ones we have who have shown their affection for us all
year long in ways that money can’t buy and time cannot erase.
- Elise Schoening
Features Editor

Editorial Content
Unsigned editorial opinions are those of the Editorial Board,
which consists of the Editor-in-Chief, the Managing, News, Features,
Arts & Entertainment, Opinions, Photo, Sports, Review and Social
Media editors and the Business and Production managers, unless
otherwise noted.
Opinions expressed in signed editorials and letters to the editor
are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Signal.

Flickr

Instead of obsessing over what gifts to give this season, students can embrace the memories and friendships they have with others.

“I got infected
with HIV because I
didn’t know if I was
enough. No one
ever came to my
school to tell me that
I’m beautiful.”
— Scott Fried,
HIV survivor

“The only thing
that keeps running
through my head
when I get phone
calls now is, ‘What
is this student going
to do next year?’
There is already
more demand than
can be met with
both us and CAPS.
Without us, I don’t
know what happens to them.”
— Katie Warga, a
graduate student
interning at TCNJ Clinic

“The dialog will be
a sharing of what
the students learned
through their research, an opportunity to consider additional information,
as appropriate, and
a processing of what
this means to us as
a community.”
— Dave Muha,
college spokesperson

page 10 The Signal December 7, 2016

Opinions

Trump could spell trouble for women’s rights
By Vincent Aldazabal

After Donald Trump was elected the
next president of the U.S., some feared
that there could be a national ban on
abortion, which would likely threaten
the biological and psychological security
and health of American women.
During the late 20th century, Nicolae
Ceausescu a fascist dictator in Romania,
forced women to sacrifice their mental
and physical health, and caused one of the
world’s greatest orphan crisis. Bans on
abortion in Romania were underpinned by
the state’s invasion into the sexual practices
of private citizens and by a strictly enforced
national quota — women were expected to
provide the Romanian nation-state with at
least three or four children.
I was adopted from Campulung, Romania,
at age 2. I am a product of fascism, the
totalitarian horrors of Nicolae Ceausescu
and one of the most severe orphan crises the
world has ever seen.

National bans, or partial bans that forced
women to obtain dangerous birth control
alternatives in Romania, led to mass health
epidemics, economic turmoil, widespread
depression, despair and alcoholism. As a
result of the bans on all forms of birth control, Romanian mothers tragically abandoned hundreds of thousands of children,
and the state placed them in orphanages.
Google Books summarizes what life
was like under Ceausescu’s rule in Gail
Kligman’s book “The Politics of Duplicity Controlling Reproduction in Ceausescu’s Romania.”
According to Google Books, Kligman’s book summarizes how “Ceausescu’s reproductive policies, among
which the banning of abortion was central, affected the physical and emotional
well-being not only of individual men,
women, children and families, but also of
society as a whole. Sexuality, intimacy,
and fertility control were fraught with
fear, which permeated daily life and took

Trump administration may abolish Roe v. Wade.

AP Photo

Restrictions on women’s rights in US could lead to protests.
a heavy moral toll as lying and dissimulation transformed both individuals and
the state.”
If you are for birth control, that’s fine.
However, we should talk about what the actual efforts to honor these restrictions have
looked like in the past and how we should
implement such policies here in the U.S.
What will happen if we overturn Roe
v. Wade? What will America’s totalitarian
erasure of women’s autonomy look like in
your family? How do you actually think
a government can prevent abortion? How
can a nation and a government live with
the severe consequences, such as the
horrific orphan crisis of Romania and
post-war Europe?
Cynthia Paces, a history professor at
the College and a historian of modern
Europe and gender, taught the students
of her Holocaust Genocide Studies class
this past summer that we should shy
away from an exclusive focus on Adolf
Hitler’s vision. Instead Paces, and many

AP Photo

others in her field, suggest that we fixate
on how everyday Germans perpetrated
and tolerated anti-Semitic ideologies and
white supremacy that galvanized around
the National Socialist Party and the toxic
rhetoric of Hitler, Heinrich Himmler and
Joseph Goebbels.
In the 1930s, Germany oversaw mass
deportations and enacted to prevent the
problem of illegal immigrants based on
racist stereotypes that fabricated and claims
about the Jews. I have had conversations
with people who adamantly assert that the
American state is justified in abruptly and
violently deporting Latino and Muslims
based on the similar stereotypical notions
of their racial makeup.
If you oppose immigration, or forms
that you deem to be “illegal,” what are the
policies you expect us to support? Choose
carefully America. Trump may not be Hitler, but Germany and Romania are part of
the world we live in, and we are deeply
embedded in it.

Buzzfeed app deserves more appreciation

By Mia Ingui

As soon as you wake up, you roll over and check your
phone. C’mon, admit it. We’re all guilty of doing it.
If you’re an avid Buzzfeed user like I am, you know
that the first app you open is not Facebook or Twitter,
but Buzzfeed, which greets you with its logo — a beautiful red circle with a white cutting arrow.
I think Buzzfeed is one of the most necessary and
informative apps on the market, no contest. Where else
can you find out about what kind of cat you are based
on your zodiac sign and fun foods for a Harry Potterthemed birthday party?
Buzzfeed has only continued to grow since it first
was developed and founded in 2006. It describes itself as a “social news and entertainment company,” as
well as a platform for “the most shareable breaking
news, original reporting, entertainment and video.”
That could not be a better description. The app acts
as a launchpad for informative breaking news, a variety of video channels from cooking to beauty tips,
and most famously, it’s highly entertaining — though
sometimes bizarre— quizzes. I’m here to break down
the best and the worst parts of the Buzzfeed app.
Though there isn’t much room for complaint, Buzzfeed
receives a C+ for its news section and app. If you’re

looking for hard-hitting news from a credible, renown
news source, don’t turn to Buzzfeed News first. They
are among the last to provide information and rarely
ever get useful comments from whomever the story is
about. Let’s just say that if Kim Kardashian is going
to provide any news source with a comment, it will
not be Buzzfeed. Turn to a more reliable source like
The New York Times or ABC News when looking for
breaking news.
Buzzfeed gets all A’s from me for the creative outlets
that it has developed. Among my favorites are “Tasty,”
Buzzfeed’s video comfort food channel, “Ladylike,” one
of Buzzfeed’s video channels that has a group of ladies
who try out crazy things, and, of course, the famous
Buzzfeed quizzes, which range in topics from Disney
to pizza to “What percent ‘cool’ are your parents?”
Whenever I have some spare time, I love checking out
the new posts on all of these channels since they are
updated frequently. I’m talking multiple times a day.
It’s a great way to unwind and see some fun, positive
things online for once, and sometimes the channels
can prove to be super useful, especially “Tasty.”
I’ve used so many “Tasty” recipes for Thanksgiving,
Christmas and all of the times in between, because
who wouldn’t want mini pumpkin pies or churro ice
cream bowls? “Tasty” has coined a method of filming

where they speed up their process to keep the video
engaging and simple. “Tasty’s” short and sweet videos
are equally as useful as they are adorable, and if you
are looking for some easy-to-make treats, “Tasty” is
perfect for you.
Whenever you get sick and tired of seeing your
relatives’ political opinions posted on Facebook, or
the same post over and over on Instagram of that one
girl who tries way too hard, or the stale, boring feed
of your Twitter timeline, try killing some time on
Buzzfeed. You will have zero regrets, I promise.

Buzzfeed is an underrated app.

Buzzfeed

Policies
The Signal is published weekly during the academic year and is financed by the Student Activities Fee (SAF) and advertising revenue. Any student may submit articles to The Signal. Publication of
submitted articles is at the discretion of the editors.
The letters section is an open forum for opinions. Submissions that announce events or advertise in any way will not be printed. All letters should be sent via e-mail to signal@tcnj.edu. Handwritten
letters should be sent to The Signal, c/o The Brower Student Center, The College of New Jersey, PO Box 7718 Ewing, N.J. 08628 or placed in our mailbox in the Student Life Office.
Letters must be received by the Friday before publication and should not exceed 300 words. The Signal reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. All letters must be signed, with a phone
number and address of the author. Requests to withhold the author’s name will be honored only if there is a legitimate reason.
All materials submitted become the sole property of The Signal. The editors reserve the right to edit or withhold all articles, letters & photographs.
The Signal willingly corrects factual mistakes. If you think we have made an error, please contact The Signal at (609) 771-2424, write to the address listed above or e-mail us at signal@tcnj.edu.

December 7, 2016 The Signal page 11

Students share opinions around campus
“Do you think Paul Loser Hall should be renamed?”

Mia Ingui / Opinions Editor

Claudia Siniakowicz, a freshman biology major.
“I think it should be reconsidered because of what
he said in the past. It doesn’t represent our current
values at TCNJ.”

Mia Ingui / Opinions Editor

Anna Kisker, a freshman elementary education
and history double major.
“I haven’t looked into it enough, though I’ve
seen articles on Facebook about it.”

“How do you feel about women’s rights under Trump?”

Mia Ingui / Opinions Editor

Lucine Beylerian, a freshman philosophy major.
“I think that it’s something that everyone needs
to be more conscious of since he is not conscious
of it.”

Mia Ingui / Opinions Editor

Klara Eieniasz, a freshman public health major.
“I feel like we’ve come so far progressively, so
there won’t be any setbacks.”

The Signal’s student cartoons of the week...

page 12 The Signal December 7, 2016

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December 7, 2016 The Signal page 13

Features

Student United Way fights against hunger

By Brielle Bryan
Staff Writer
On the evening of Friday, Dec. 2, Student United Way hosted its second annual
Hunger Banquet in the Education Building.
Donte Ingram, president of Student
United Way and a senior business management major, began the event by welcoming
the crowd.
“Tonight we are advocating on behalf
of the millions of people who are negatively affected daily by poverty and hunger,” Ingram said.
According to Ingram, Student United Way
is a service organization dedicated to volunteering and advocating in areas that concern
education, health and income.
Student United Way’s goals align with
Oxfam America, a charitable organization focused on alleviating poverty who provided the
model for the activities at the Hunger Banquet.
Ingram finished his opening speech and
handed it over to keynote speaker Antonino
Scarpati, assistant dean of Nursing, Health
and Exercise Science.
While Scarpati used the model Oxfam
America provided to run the event, he added
his own touches, as well, such as playing a
video by Harvard Law on global wealth.
“This event is a metaphor for how food
and resources are inequitably distributed
around the world,” Scarpati said after playing
the video.
Scarpati said there are 2.2 billion people in
the world living in poverty and 795 million of
them are living with chronic hunger.
Scarpati turned to the audience and asked
them to look at the cards that they were handed when they walked into the room.
Each card was categorized as either

Randell Carrido / Staff Photographer

Students are asked to sit on the floor to represent low-class living.
high, middle or low income, and contained a specific person’s name and
background story.
Students who received cards marked as
high income were asked to sit in a chair at
a table. Those with cards labeled as middle
income had to sit in chairs that were not next
to a table while those with a low income card
had to sit on the floor.
Most students sat on the floor. A small percentage of students sat in chairs that were not
next to a table while four students sat in chairs
next to a table.
Scarpati said 20 percent of the students
had a high income, 30 percent had a middle
income and 50 percent had a low income.
Scarpati called out a few names written
on the student’s cards and talked about the
background story of the named individual.

Scarpati went on to discuss situations in
which individuals could experience economic mobility.
“It was so crazy how you could go from
middle to low income in the blink of an eye,”
said Luisanna Lugo, a senior math and secondary education dual major.
When it came time to eat, Scarpati said
the students in the high-income group would
be served pasta, salad and sweet tea. The students who were middle income would have
to walk up to the buffet and could only eat
rice and beans. The low-income students
were only allowed rice, and women had to
wait for the men to eat first.
“It was very eye-opening,” said Tyler
Law, a communication studies major who
was in the low-income group. “It’s one of
those things that is in the back of your mind.

You know about poverty, but you never really
experience it until you see the charts, hear the
speeches and hear the stories.”
According to Lugo, experiencing the
situation of poverty firsthand makes people
grateful for what they have in their lives.
Sophomore nursing major Dianelis Mendoza said she volunteers at the Trenton Area
Soup Kitchen (TASK).
“I see a lot of little kids,” Mendoza said.
“They didn’t choose this for themselves.
They were just born into it.”
According to Scarpati, every 11.5 seconds
8,000 children die from hunger.
What could the students do with their newfound knowledge on poverty and hunger?
Scarpati and Ingram suggested students
should get involved with nonprofits, such
as HomeFront and TASK, or service organizations like the Bonner Institute or Habitat for Humanity.
Most clubs give students the opportunity
to do charity work, or even co-sponsor an
event that is dedicated to advocating on the
behalf of a specific cause.
The clubs that co-sponsored the Hunger
Banquet were Black Student Union, Sigma
Lambda Beta International Fraternity Inc.,
Haitian Student Association, Chi Upsilon
Sigma and TCNJ Red Cross.
Students can also participate in Student
United Way’s annual PB&J race in the
spring semester.
Scarpati said he hopes students become
more involved following their attendance at
the event.
He encourages students to reflect on what
they’ve learned, share their experience with
at least five people and to get involved with
one organization that does something to address hunger and poverty.

Students take a Trip Around the World

Left: Students learn about diverse cultures. Right: Students try new foods.

By Melissa Guerrero
Correspondent

On Tuesday, Nov. 29, students from the International
House hosted its second annual
Trip Around the World in the
Education Building.
Trip Around the World
showcased the College’s multicultural and ethnic clubs, such
as Union Latina, Asian American Student Association and
Muslim Student Association,
and aimed to inform students of
life outside of America.
Students and residents of the
College’s International House
planned and executed Trip

Around the World. Junior international studies major John
Walsh, senior biology major
Ruth Sanchez De La Ros and
sophomore accounting major
Ariana Macaraig Berberabe
worked together to bring different cultures to life.
“Trip Around the World is a
fundamental event to the College campus because it showcases various cultures in a light
of authenticity that I do not believe any other event can hold
parallel to,” Walsh said.
The cultures that were represented at the event included Germany, Latin America and Italy.
Each country had its own table,

serving food and facts from each
respective culture. Students were
encouraged to try foods they
have never eaten before.
“My favorite part of Trip
Around the World is always
when people try a new food for
the first time and learn to love
it,” Walsh said.
The event gave students
the opportunity to familiarize
themselves with the different
cultures throughout the College’s student body as well as
meet students at the College
who are from overseas.
“The event benefits students
by giving them an ability to
see the many cultural clubs we

Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor

have on campus and to meet the
international students who are
ever so proud to showcase their
traditions,” Walsh said.
Trip Around the World set
up an illustrated setting to
make students feel engaged and
involved in each country. Students were directed to circle the
room and stop at each country
to receive a ticket.
At the end of the event, a raffle took place to motivate student
participation. Prizes consisted
of gift cards to restaurants and
clothing stores, with the grand
prize being a $100 gift card for
Southwest Airlines.
Impressive performances by

iTunes, Chinese Student Association, DragonFlies and TCNJ Jiva
showcased how dance is different
throughout various countries.
TCNJ Barkada presented Tinikling: a traditional Filipino
folk dance. Later, the freshmen
members of the Chinese Student
Association, called the Next
Generation, performed a dance.
With thousands of students
at the College, students are
destined to meet people with
different cultural backgrounds.
Trip Around the World provided an interesting experience
for attendees to learn about different cultures and discover the
diversity on campus.

page 14 The Signal December 7, 2016

: Oct. ‘05

Campus Style

Stranger follows student into Bliss Hall

Alyssa Gautieri / Production Manager

In 2005, a stranger wandered into an English class at the College.

Every week, Production Manager Alyssa Gautieri hits the archives and
finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
In October, the College heightened its
security measures after an intruder was
caught on security footage sneaking into
dorm rooms. The intruder reportedly entered
Decker and New Residence halls in the early
hours of the morning on different occasions.
An emergency text alert from the College was
sent to students to warn them of the intruder:
a 5-foot-9 white male with a thin face reportedly wearing light shorts and a dark shirt. In
October 2005, a similar incident occurred on
campus in which an older man uninvitedly
entered a classroom in Bliss Hall.
A middle-aged man reportedly smelling
of alcohol interrupted a 4 p.m. romanticism
class being taught by Harriet Hustis, associate professor of English, last Thursday afternoon in Bliss Hall.
After hanging around the halls for a few
minutes, and making students giggle by
peeking in the door window, the man entered
uninvited, Hustis said.
He told Hustis he was assigned to teach
the class, argued with her for less than five
minutes over whether he could teach the
class, and then left on his own, she said.
Hustis said the man was white, in his late
40s to mid-50s, and had short grayish hair.
She said he was clean, presentable, and relatively articulate. She added that he wasn’t

aggressive or mean, and went so far as to
call him jovial.
“He just walked in here and said ‘I’m
here to teach this class,’” Hustis said. “I
think when he realized he wasn’t going to get
to teach, he decided to leave.”
After he left, a female student in the class
told Hustis that the man had followed her
there. Students sitting near the doorway
where he was standing also told her he
smelled of alcohol, Hustis said.
Gloria Arminio, a senior English major
in the class, said the class was more confused by the incident than scared. “Everyone
was just waiting to see what would happen,”
she said.
Hustis reported the incident to Paulette
LaBar, secretary in the English department,
who then called Campus Police.
According to Arminio, police officers
entered the classroom 10 minutes later and
talked to the class to get details.
Arminio said an officer told the class
the man was also caught trying to “tutor”
young girls outside the Library. There have
also been reports of him at the Brower Student Center, Hustis said.
The officer said Campus Police would
put the man on a list of people banned from
the College, so that legal action could be
taken if he was found on campus again.

Sneakers are comfortable.

Flickr

By Jillian Greene
Columnist

As the end of the semester approaches,
students are struggling to find time to do just
about anything, let alone time to find a cute
outfit. The Library is getting increasingly
crowded as students stress to finish group
projects, write final papers, submit late assignments and begin studying for finals.
How can we possibly pull it off? I ask
myself this at the end of every semester, yet I still don’t have an answer. I don’t
think anybody does. Stress is at an all-time
high among students. This stress can affect
many things, such as our eating habits, sleep
schedule, overall health and, more importantly, our outfit choices.
I’m seeing an increase in students on campus dressed in their pajamas. This leads me
to assume that they have been studying all
night and were too tired to pick out an outfit.
Of course, I am not saying there is anything
wrong with wearing pajamas to class or the
Library. In fact, pajamas are an acceptable
outfit in college.
However, don’t forget: Dress well, test

well! During the next two weeks, comfort
is key as we cram and spend an unthinkable
amount of hours in the Library. However,
just because an outfit is comfortable, does
not mean that it cannot be stylish, too. Dressing nice on the days of your finals will boost
your confidence and overall attitude going
into the exam.
Yes, I admit my outfits this week have
not been my finest. However, I’ve made it
work. If you’re thinking about your group
project or finals creeping up the second you
open your eyes in the morning, then you
may decide to get dressed without any logical thought process. I promise that you are
not alone.
My advice, which I have implemented
in my own life, is to pick out an outfit the
night before. It’ll save time, and any extra
time is valuable to stressed-out students. I
usually turn to leggings and a long sweater
with sneakers because the outfit still has
the comfort of pajamas, but is cute enough
to keep you feeling confident. Good luck
studying, fashionistas!

Girl pulls off a casual look.

Flickr

: Hectic year for celebs will end

Twitter

Hadid walks the runway and The Weeknd performs at the
Victoria Secret Fashion Show.
By Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Columnist
As the end of the year approaches, we can begin to reflect on 2016. As a culture, we
followed the highly contested
presidential election, saw an outpouring of memes and paid close
attention to the whereabouts of
Taylor Swift.
The year has been nothing short
of a roller coaster ride filled with
emotions, and I think everyone is
excited for it to be over. Possibly
besides President-elect Donald

Trump who will actually have to
take the White House in 2017.
This week, “Saturday Night
Live” maintained its streak of
making fun of Trump’s antics.
Attacking Trump’s tweeting habits, the show commented on how
Trump’s focus on social media
is taking away from his White
House preparations.
Trump fired back via Twitter,
saying that the show is biased.
He also wrote that Alec Baldwin’s impersonation “can’t get
any worse.”
Baldwin retaliated by tweeting

back that he would stop the gig if
Trump released his tax returns,
which has been another hot topic
in 2016.
Jennifer Aniston also made
an appearance on “SNL” during
its “Weekend Update” segment.
Aniston asked cast member
Vanessa Bayer to stop impersonating her “Friends” character
Rachel Green.
The two squabbled over the
accusation that Green never contributed much to conversations
during her run on the sitcom.
Bayer and Aniston are appearing
together in the upcoming movie
“Office Christmas Party.”
As if 2016 couldn’t get anymore cringeworthy, Bella Hadid
and The Weeknd proved the year
had more to give. After their recent breakup, the two were forced
to run into each other on the Victoria’s Secret runway.
Hadid walked in her first
Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show,
where her ex-boyfriend also performed. Photos were released
that showed The Weeknd trying
to serenade his ex on the runway.
The model stayed calm, cool
and collected as she strutted past
him. The two exchanged polite

smiles before Hadid stole the
spotlight back.
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher were able to provide some good
news in this desolate year as they
announced the birth of their second child together. Dimitri Portwood Kutcher, who was born in
the early hours of Wednesday,
Nov. 30, joined the couple’s other
daughter Wyatt Isabelle.
Kutcher and Kunis say they keep
their children out of the spotlight.
According to the couple, the children can decide if they would like

to be in the public eye when they
are older. I would like to personally thank Kunis and Kutcher for
reminding us that there is still good
in the world.
As the semester finishes off,
I thank you for another wonderful semester of keeping up with
celebrity drama. From the Royal
Family to award season, I’m excited to see what 2017 will bring
us. Mostly, I’ll continue patiently
waiting for Taylor Swift to release new music throughout the
new year.

Twitter

Kunis and Kutcher announce birth of their second child.

December 7, 2016 The Signal page 15

Arts & Entertainment

Punk rock rules in closing CUB Alt show

Kimberly Ilkowski / Staff Photographer

Left: Four-piece punk band Pentimento plays a varied and lively set. Right: Save Face performs an energetic array of pop-punk songs.
By Gianna Melillo
Correspondent
With performers like PWR
BTTM and Alex G setting the bar
high for CUB Alt shows all semester long, the last show had to go
out with a bang. CUB Alt’s final
show on Friday, Dec. 2, did just
that with Save Face, Born Without
Bones and headliner Pentimento.
The bands jammed out in the
Decker Social Space from 5 p.m.
to 8 p.m. to a large crowd of students and local music lovers.
“I’m so excited for this show.
It’s going to be sick,” said Karin
Flannery, a sophomore interactive
multimedia and graphic design

double major and sister of alumnus
Chris Flannery (’16) in Save Face.
Pentimento, a punk rock
band from Buffalo, N.Y., headlined the show. The band comprises two guitarists, one of
whom is the lead singer, as well
as a bassist and a drummer who
provided additional vocals.
Sophomore English major
Morgan Lubner was excited to
see the band perform.
“I’ve been following them for
about four years now, and I’ve
never seen them before,” Lubner
said. “They’re really, really nice
guys and they’re super engaging
with their fans, which is really
cool. I’m really happy CUB Alt

was able to book them here because they’re a great band and
they deserve all the exposure
they can get.”
Pentimento’s first project,
“Wrecked,” was released in
2011. The band’s latest fulllength album “I, no Longer”
came out in 2015.
The upbeat, fast-paced set
was well-received by the audience who cheered and sang along
to the lyrics. In between songs,
lead singer Jeramiah Pauly interacted with the crowd, reminding
them of the merchandise for sale
in the back of the venue. At one
point he shouted, “Part of Christmas spirit is buying stuff” and

thanked the audience for supporting them.
The set included 10 songs off
the band’s two full-length albums.
After wishing the crowd “Happy
holidays,” Pentimento played its
final song to a room full of people
swaying arm in arm.
Dana Gorab, CUB Alt cochair and a junior communication studies major, couldn’t have
been happier with the turnout.
“Pentimento is so good, I
love them,” she said. “They
were really excited to play, and
since it’s the last show of the
semester, I’m glad we got to
end on a high note.”
Save Face, which includes

alumni Flannery and Tyler Pavonda (’16), opened the show.
The band just came off a twomonth tour throughout the U.S.
and Canada in support of their
first EP, “Folly.”. The pop punk
band’s set included five songs
that revved up the crowd.
Hailing from Boston, Born
Without Bones played next.
The band’s main genre is emo
and its first album, “Baby,” is
available on Spotify and other
music-streaming websites. The
members toured with Save Face
over the summer and played a
fast-paced set, complete with
headbanging and cheers from
the audience.

Students sing stunning songs in first iCabaret
By Mia Ingui
Managing Assistant

iTunes, the College’s largest a cappella
group dedicated to incorporating international tunes into its repertoire, held its first
ever iCabaret on Saturday, Dec. 5. The evening was filled with solo acts from many of
the iTunes members.
“In the past year, we’ve had more opportunities,” said Lauren Agho, a member of iTunes and a junior biology major
with a specialization in psychology who
organized the event. “We thought having
a night to showcase our individual talents
would be great.”
Since it was founded in 2007, iTunes has
grown immensely and incorporated contemporary pop songs into its lineup, as well.
The iCabaret was filled with a variety
of tunes from pop to Broadway to Frank
Sinatra. The first act of the night was a
group piece from all the iTunes members
— the classic Christmas carol “Carol of
the Bells.”
Junior Jordan Virgil started the evening
off strong with an impeccable cover of “Still
Hurting” from the Broadway musical “The
Last Five Years.”
Next up was freshman Ian Gray, who followed Virgil with another song from “The
Last Five Years” called “Shiksa Goddess,”
an amusing lament in which Gray said anything goes, except for being Jewish.

iTunes sings a diverse set ranging from jazz to pop.

After Gray was Emme Mcgilligan, a
sophomore who sang the tender and sweet
Adele ballad “Make You Feel My Love.”
Members of iTunes then brought out an
extra guitar microphone for the next act: junior Tim Smith singing and playing Panic!
at the Disco’s “The Ballad of Mona Lisa.”
Next up was sophomore Taylor Solomon,
whose crystal clear vocals shone in her rendition of “Arms” by Christina Perri.
The guitar microphone was brought back
up for freshman Amanda Hyland, who performed the iconic “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac. She prefaced the song with a

Kim Iannerone / Photo Editor

quick note, saying that this song held a special place in her heart, as it was the first one
she ever performed to which the audience
let out a collective “Aw.”
Sophomore Mallory Ives took the stage
next, accompanied by her brother on guitar. They performed “Just Ask” by Lake
Street Drive.
To close the first act, freshman Joey Stambouly sang “Santeria” by Sublime.
The second act opened with senior Ally
Marcino, who performed the smooth and
soft “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones.
She gave a disclaimer at the beginning of

her performance that “there is an 18-second
musical interlude” and that “to the dismay
of my family, I will dance through the entire
thing.” She did.
Freshman Berto Crespo followed Marcino with the tender love song “Say You
Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur.
Junior Tim Smith and his guitar took the
stage again, this time to perform the Rascal
Flatt’s ballad “Here’s to You.” He dedicated
the song to his mom, which caused the audience to “Aw” again.
Joey Stambouly came back out onstage
after Smith in a full suit, ready to now serenade the audience with Sinatra’s “Ain’t That
a Kick in the Head” and everyone swooned.
To challenge Stambouly was Gray, whose
second act of the night was Sinatra’s “Fly
Me to the Moon.”
The whole group then took the stage to
perform the last number, Sia’s “Alive” arranged by former iTunes member and alumnus Cameron Schiff (’16) and featured soloist senior Derek Carper.
Agho, who organized the event, felt that
the first ever iCabaret was a success.
“It went well,” Agho said. “All of the soloists were great and so was the turnout.”
This will not be the last iCabaret, according to Agho, who would like to make
it a biannual event.
The iTunes’s Winter Concert is coming up on Sunday, Dec. 11, in Mayo
Concert Hall.

page 16 The Signal December 7, 2016

Student artists show talent at Arter’s Market

Meagan McDowell / Staff Photographer

Left: Students sell handmade jewelry at tables adorned with lights. Right: An artist sells crafts and prints.
By Kristin Dipede
Correspondent
Under the starry, evening sky, students at the College
displayed their artwork at the Winter Arter’s Market outside the Art and Interactive Multimedia (AIMM) Building
on the night of Friday, Dec. 2, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the
AIMM courtyard. Each piece of displayed art demonstrated
the artists’ creativity.
Hosted by Rebel Arts Movement, a student organization
comprising artists and art lovers, the festive string lights
adorning the balcony and the music set the mood as the artists displayed and sold their work. Upon entering the event,
one may have seen a grand dirt pile, which the respective
artist spoke with great satisfaction about his vision in seeing
dirt as art.

Further down the path were items sporting the College’s
letters that students were sure to swoop in and grab. There
were canvas paintings of New Jersey filled in with various patterns and colors while another seller distributed tie-dyed TCNJ
Trendy Tees with a paint-splattered “TCNJ” written across the
front and multiple colors and designs from which to choose.
Danielle Davis, a junior graphic design major, used the
art sale to sell and display her various paintings. Her designs
included anime characters and interesting patterns. Along
with her paintings and pastel drawings, Davis had detailed
graphic design drawings.
“Ever since I was young, I just liked to draw and paint,”
Davis said. “Some of the artists here have had this artistic
skill and passion since they could talk.”
Although she is a graphics design major, Davis now
prefers a specific method of drawing.

“I used to prefer paintings, but now I just really like to
use pencil,” she said.
Other students used their abilities in a more practical
way by placing their artwork of animals, for example, onto
iPhone cases.
Colorful and comfortable pillows and blankets with either a swirled tie-dyed or floral knit pattern was another option that customers could purchase.
Unlike the common jewelry pieces, artists sold white
lace chokers in a variety of patterns and sizes. More fashionable art pieces included knit scarves with multi-colored, plaid patterns just in time for the winter season.
The inside of the AIMM Building provided a world of
artistic, creative pieces that included human portraits that
displayed the artists’ true attributes. Despite the cold weather, everyone from artists to visitors enjoyed the evening.

On Wednesday, Nov. 30, the talented
all-male a cappella group featured in
NBC’s “The Sing Off” and “Pitch Perfect 2,” The Filharmonic, performed
in Mayo Concert Hall. Hosted by the
Asian American Association, the group
consists of Filipino-American members
who entertain audiences with hip-hop
and pop covers, along with their own
original music.
Vocalists VJ Rosales, Joe Caigoy,
Trace Gaynor and Barry Fortgang, vocal
bass Jules Cruz and beatboxer Niko Del
Ray entered the stage in sync with one
another. While their movements and choreography were not always exactly alike,
they all gave off the same energy during
each song.
“They can balance a small group and
have such a strong sound,” said Derek
Carper, a member of one of the College’s
a cappella groups, iTunes, and a senior
marketing major. “(They have) a super
great stage presence.”
The Filharmonic performed songs such
as “Chains” by Nick Jonas, “Shut up and
Dance with Me” by Walk the Moon. Every song was well-known, so the audience
could easily pick it up and sing along with
them, except from their original song,
“Get up and Go.” However, the group
taught the audience the verses, so they
could sing, too.
The group encouraged audience participation throughout its performance.
They called up a volunteer to serenade,
got the audience to create different sounds
to make a collective rhythm and dedicated
a song,“Sugar” by Maroon 5, to New Jersey’s signature dessert: cannoli. Remi Hoff,
a freshman applied math major, was impressed by their performance, describing

them as “really personal and interactive.”
Fortgang said he thought it would be
nice for the audience to appreciate how
much fun they have performing a cappella music.
“There’s a lot of work that we put into
it, so hopefully that shows,” he said.
After the show, the audience was
treated to a meet and greet, so fans could
take a quick picture with the group.
“They were so entertaining and fun,”
said Kamy Reyes, a junior communication studies major. “(They gave) charismatic performances.”
The Filharmonic is currently embarking on its first nationwide “Get up and
Go” tour and are traveling to 120 college

campuses. In addition to its work on “The
Sing Off” and “Pitch Perfect 2,” The Filharmonic has appeared on the “Late Late
Show with James Corden” in a segment
with Anna Kendrick.
The group also has an active YouTube
channel where the group uploads covers
of popular songs and original content.
Currently the channel has more than
140,000 subscribers.
The Filharmonic were not the only
a cappella group to grace the Mayo
Concert Hall stage. iTunes, which cosponsored this Student Activity Feefunded event along with TCNJ Barkada,
opened the show with songs like “Lego
House” by Ed Sheeran and “Cake by the

Ocean” by DNCE. Through beatboxing,
clapping and stomping, the group made
the audience forget that there were no
instruments. iTunes will be performing
its own concert on Sunday, Dec. 11, in
Mayo Concert Hall.
As for The Filharmonic, the group
looks forward to taking on new projects
and plans to focus on releasing more
YouTube covers and additional original
content this upcoming year.
If there is one thing the group hopes
the audience takes away from their performance, it was to always have fun.
“We have fun all the time up onstage,” Fortgang said. “And hopefully
we get to share that with the audience.”

The Filharmonic displays impressive a cappella abilities with covers of popular songs.

Mason Moran / Staff Photographer

December 7, 2016 The Signal page 17

New ‘Pokémon’ revives series

Photo courtesy of Nintendo

Pokémon like Raichu have new tropical forms in ‘Sun and Moon.’

By Sean Reis
Arts & Entertainment Editor

Another adventure awaits in the “Pokémon” franchise’s latest game “Pokémon Sun
and Moon,” and there’s no time to waste if you
“want be the very best, like no one ever was.”
In the seventh generation of the series,
“Pokémon Sun and Moon” is a four-island
journey across the Hawaiian-inspired Alola
region. This may be one of the best “Pokémon” games to come out in over a decade, and
no, “Pokémon Go” doesn’t count.
The sixth generation, “X and Y,” was a
strong attempt to revive the franchise, but
“Sun and Moon” gives “Pokémon” fans the
chance to return to their roots with a change of
pace from previous titles.
Familiar faces such as Pikachu, Eevee
and Magikarp, along with Alolan versions of

Pokémon, will greet you as you begin your
adventure. I specifically enjoyed playing with
the Alolan form of Pikachu’s final evolution,
Raichu, which features a new twist on the
powerful evolution that I rarely used in past
games. Pokémon, like Grimer and Muk, each
have Alolan forms that, again, encouraged
me to catch these Pokémon for battle, despite
rarely using these Pokémon in past titles.
“X and Y” had included other generations
of Pokémon with similar reasoning, however,
“Sun and Moon” does so in a way that the
classic Pokémon blend well with the Pokémon that are native to the new region. Pikachu
and friends pick up the slack from their “Sun
and Moon” colleagues who don’t quite reach
the creative standards that previous “Pokémon” generations have required.
Not to say that the Alolan Pokédex was not
filled with cool, new Pokémon to catch, but

many clearly took more thought than others.
The new fan favorite Mimikyu was well-designed by the “Sun and Moon” team, while
Klefki — the Pokémon that resembles a key
ring — was not.
Besides the Alolan Pokémon, “Sun and
Moon” has the richest plot — excluding the
first three generations, which will forever hold
a special place in my heart. With a beginning
reminiscent of the third generation, the story
starts after you move to Alola with your mother. It seems simple, but embarking on a new
adventure with a similar background story for
the character serves as a nostalgic vehicle for
fans of the classic titles.
In Alola, you’re also welcomed by other
dynamic characters, such as Lillie, Gladion
and Acerola. The vast majority of the nonplayable characters (NPC) who you meet on
your adventure feature dense and well-written
lore that adds to the game overall. Though this
may not be the case for every NPC you meet
on your travels — especially your one-dimensional rival Hau — these characters help drive
the story as you progress from island to island
by defeating several trials on each. Started in
“Sun and Moon,” this trial system has replaced
the gyms found in previous generations.
Among the many odd extras that the
seventh generation decided to add, such as
Festival Plaza or “Poké Pelago,” “Sun and
Moon” would have been incomplete and
less successful without a team of Pokémon thieves to stop your fun. Although the
“Sun and Moon” successors to the original
Team Rocket may not be my favorite team
to fight, Team Skull did make for humorous
competition on my adventure.
Overall, “Sun and Moon” has been the best
“Pokémon” experience in years, and I highly
recommend it to all fans of the franchise,
young and old.

Metallica returns with rad new album

This week, WTSR staff members Tommy
Strafaci and Rachel Miller highlight some
of the best new albums that the College’s
own radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into
its weekly rotation.

Band: Sires
Album: “Soul for Sale”
Release Number: 1st
Hailing From: Waterloo, Iowa
Genre: Pop Rock
Label: Station 1 Records
Waterloo-based band Sire debuted a solid
rock album with “Soul for Sale.” Running
the gambit from seductive balladry to poppy
and lighthearted to pure rock ’n roll, the band
knows how to create a sound all of their own.
Taking influences from the ’50s, ’60s and
’70s, but with an undeniably modern twist,
“Soul for Sale” is memorable. The combination of frontman Dylan Sires backed by Ross
Klemz and Graham Howland, and mixed by
Brandon Darner, creates a high-energy, nonstop-fun rock album that is sure to leave listeners excited for more.
Must Hear: “She’s Into Me,” “Deep in
the Dark,” “Hands are Shakey” and “Don’t
Black Out”

By Matt Baginski
Correspondent
In 1981, guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield joined forces
with drummer Lars Ulrich. Add lead guitarist Kirk Hammett
and bassist Robert Trujillo to the mix, and you’ve got one of
the greatest heavy metal rock bands of all time: Metallica. In
the 35 years since, Metallica has been able to close the distance
between hardcore heavy metal headbangers and the average
music listener.
“Hardwired... to Self Destruct” contains just about everything a Metallica fan could ask for from one of their albums.
Fast-paced, headbanging, eardrum-deafening heavy metal ––
the same stuff your cooler older brother would listen to back
in college. Seriously, though, the album is solid, receiving high
ratings from Rolling Stone and The Guardian, and placing No.
1 in the charts worldwide.
Metallica is back, making a name for itself amongst a generation
whose constituents weren’t even alive when their first few albums
were released.
I’ll be basing my review off the standard edition, which kicks
off with a single released earlier in the year, “Hardwired.” According to an interview on The Howard Stern Show from Monday,
Sept. 26, Ulrich and Hetfield wanted a quick introduction to kick
things off.
“Hardwired” sets the tone for the first disc of the album with
high octane guitar riffs and classic Metallica double kick drum
madness. Although frantic, the music flows well and seems as if it
is progressing linearly — a difficult feat to accomplish when playing at such high beats per minute.
Hetfield on the vocals, screams, “We’re so fucked! Shit out of luck!
Hardwired to self-destruct!” — a classic example of the angst and
semi-controlled chaos that has propelled Metallica into stardom.
The following track “Atlas, Rise!” is a true to form Metallica classic –– seven minutes of vicious, adrenaline-pumping
rhythm with periodic momentary rests before diverting back
into pandemonium. The third track on disc one was not released as a single ahead of the album’s release, but that does
not stop it from being just as, if not more, heavy and brooding
than its predecessors.
In “Now That We’re Dead,” Hetfield vocalizes a story of love
gone too soon, and the optimism in death that one will be united
with their friends and family. Metallica is known for their themes
of mortality, sadness and pain that comes with being human, and

Band: Slaughter Beach, Dog
Album: “Welcome”
Release Number: 1st
AP Photo
Hailing From: Philadelphia
Metallica plays with chaotic power and energy.
Genre: Emo
“Now That We’re Dead” is a testament to these motifs. Throw in Label: Lame-O Records
a fantastic guitar solo backed by Ulrich kick pedaling like a madman, and this song makes for one of the best tracks on their 10th If you had told any Modern Baseball fan bealbum. The rest of disc one finishes out strongly with two more fore this year started that they would be gettracks including another pre-released single “A Moth Into The ting a new MoBo album and the debut album
Flame” and “Halo On Fire.”
of Slaughter Beach, Dog (the side-project of
Disc two doesn’t contain any singles off the album, and is not as MoBo’s Jake Ewald), they would’ve said it
polished as the first. “Here Comes Revenge” and the conclusion, was a dream come true. While sometimes
“Spit Out The Bone,” are the strongest tracks on the latter end of overshadowed by the popularity of MoBo,
this album. “ManUNkind” is very choppy as Ulrich and Hammett Slaughter Beach, Dog is an awesome band in
play quickly and often not at the same pace. I’m not sure what they its own right. In the debut album “Welcome,”
were going for here, but the chaos is much less controlled, to a point Ewald plays the role of storyteller, delivering
where it can really irritate you if you pay enough attention to it.
fans with 10 songs, each displaying the difThe three remaining tracks are not exactly filler, but also not quite ferent perspectives of fictional people from
on par with the rest of the album. They reside in a sort of forgettable the imaginary town of Slaughter Beach. If
limbo and are part of the reason, along with the clumsiness of “Ma- that idea isn’t creative enough to get you to
nUNkind,” that some critics have given this album a lower rating listen, then the poignant yet honest lyrics and
than it deserves.
the catchy hooks should. Opting for the role
“Hardwired” is as true to Metallica as most of their earlier of narrator rather than protagonist, Ewald
works. It’s an album that long-time fans will adore and perhaps shows his uncanny ability to pen interesting
catalyze a newfound fondness for heavy thrash metal among and cohesive lyrics that seem relatable to just
younger audiences. Classic themes of death, love, pain and free- about anyone. “Welcome” is one of the best
dom are all expressed throughout the two-disc, 12-track set.
albums of the year, so do yourself a favor and
The masterful talent of Hammett, Ulrich, Hetfield and Trujillo just put it on repeat.
are apparent, despite the faults on a few of the tracks from the
second disc. Metallica fans like myself will adore this album, and Must Hear: “Politics of Grooming,”
if you’ve never heard their music, I suggest you give it a listen at “Drinks,” “Monsters,” “Toronto Mug” and
the gym or during a caffeine-fueled study binge.
“Mallrat Semi-Annual”

page 18 The Signal December 7, 2016

Fun StufF
Finals Week Crossword Puzzle

Down:

1. A social media website where you’ll spend most of your
time procrastinating.
2. When your friends think you’re joking about how
you’re going to fail your finals and acting _____, but
you’re actually serious.
4. The skies of the College student’s future darkened as
he handed in his final exam. This sentence is what type of
figurative language.
5. How to study in advance for finals: ____ _ ____.
7. When you’re a bad _____ _____, you won’t do well on
your exam no matter how hard you study.
10. A way to relieve stress during finals week. Meredith
and Christina from “Grey’s Anatomy” do this when they
are stressed, as well.
11. While studying alone for finals _____ ______, my
books have become my friends.
13. If you did well on these mini tests all semester then
you have nothing to stress about.
14. If you realized that you don’t know the meaning of
half the words in your textbook, you can find their definition in this book.
16. This is the type of pencil you bring to your exam.
17. Stories of students receiving an A on all of their finals
seems like a _____, or fairytale.

Across:

3. An adjective that describes the kid you get your
notes from.
6. Fiction is to nonfiction as english is to what?
8. The type of look you gave your professor all semester when you were not paying attention in class. 3
words
9. You haven’t done this all semester and now you
need to catch up, so open your textbooks!
12. This project is almost always due at the end of
the semester and you either do all the work or barely
anything.
15. General education majors learn this type of English for middle and elementary schoolers.
18. You don’t need to check this out of the Lib because you get your sources online.
19. When you try to _____ your friend in your class
the material because they haven’t been paying attention all semester, but you have. :)
20. ____ _ _____ of cookies from Eick after finishing
all of your exams.
21. At the end of ____ ____ ______, you will hopefully graduate and get a job.
ANSWERS ON NEXT PAGE

The Lions continue their blazing start to
the season with consecutive wins against
New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC)
opponents. After falling to Skidmore College, 84-96, on Monday, Nov. 28, the Lions
defeated Stockton University, 66-62, two
days later. The following Saturday, Dec. 3,
the Lions crushed Kean University, 77-43.
In Saratoga Springs, N.Y., the Lions
could not keep up with the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds consistent shooting
led by sophomore guard Edvinas Rupkus’s
37-point performance. The Lions fell to a
6-2 deficit in the beginning. The Thoroughbreds senior guard Aldin Medunjanin was
the mailman of his team’s offense with five
assists in the first half.
Senior forward Bobby Brackett played
physical against the Thoroughbreds as he
registered a double-double performance.
During the game, Brackett recorded his
672th rebound, passing alumnus Bill Burr
(’99) and becoming fourth in the Lions alltime rebounding list.
The Lions offense stumbled in the second half, while the Thoroughbreds hung
on until the 96-84 result. Senior forward
Corey Stanford and Brackett missed
back-to-back layup attempts during the
first two minutes of the second half. By
the 25th minute, the Thoroughbreds junior center Marcus Jackson and Rupkus
sunk in three layups and the Thoroughbreds lead grew to 58-38.
Even though junior guard Eric Murdock

Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk

Freshman forward Ryan Jensen grabs six rebounds.

and Stanford fought hard in the second
half, the Thoroughbreds remained ahead
and almost reached 100 points.
“We can improve on so much,” Brackett said. “I don’t even think we realize how
good we can be. There have been signs of
us playing better together, but we have yet
to play our best for an entire game.”
After the loss, the Lions journeyed to
Galloway, N.J., to compete against the
Stockton University Ospreys: the defending NJAC champions who defeated them
in last season’s NJAC final. Unlike the finals match the previous February, the Lions came out with a 66-62 victory.
“Going into the Stockton game we

definitely had a little extra motivation
since they beat us in the conference
championship last season,” Brackett
said. “It’s always fun playing against
them, and it was no different this time.”
Like the previous match against Skidmore, the Lions quickly fell 0-8 deficit.
Ospreys sophomore guard Kashaun Barnes
was the centerpiece of his team’s offense.
Barnes twice shoveled a pass to senior
guard Tom Catanoso as he threw in two
three-pointers.
Starting in the 10th minute, the Lions
furiously erased their deficit thanks to
Murdock. The Lions finished the first half
only three points behind, 31-28.

The Ospreys responded immediately in
the second half with a 12-4 run. Ospreys
sophomore guard/forward Brandon Hamilton speared through the Lions defense and
scored 10 points on multiple jumpers. With
13 minutes remaining, the Lions found
themselves far behind, 47-36.
The Lions began to rally when Bermudez leaped for a layup. Murdock instantly
followed up with a pair of three-pointers
behind the arc. Meanwhile, Ospreys junior
forward Darius Jerkins slowed the Lions
momentum by forcing fouls and draining
free throws. By the fifth minute, the Lions
were only trailing by three points.
Two minutes later, sophomore guard
Joe Montano fed a pass to Murdock,
who proceeded to tie the match, 62-62,
with a three-pointer. Afterwards, the Lions built their first lead of the match and
won, 66-62.
After the close game, the Lions returned
to Packer Hall and crushed the Kean University Cougars, 77-43. The Lions began
the match with a 9-0 lead and never looked
back. At the beginning of the second half,
Murdock swapped the ball from Cougar’s
sophomore guard Jodrell Thompson and
recorded his 100th career steal.
The Lions remain home for the week as
they take on the Delaware Valley University Aggies at Packer Hall on Monday, Dec.
5, at 8 p.m. On Wednesday, Dec. 7, the Lions compete in another conference matchup at home against the Rowan University
Profs at 8 p.m. The Lions then finish the
week away at New Jersey City University
on Saturday, Dec. 10.

Cheap Seats

Chapecoense tragedy brings the soccer world together

Chapecoense fans come out to see their beloved team for one last time.
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
The soccer world woke up to
the most dreadful news imaginable on Tuesday, Nov. 29: A flight
carrying the Brazilian soccer
team Chapecoense crashed in Colombia just outside of Medellin.
Of the 81 people on the flight,
which included players, coaches,
journalists and airline staff, only
six survived.
Goalkeeper Jackson Follmann
and defenders Alan Ruschel and
Norberto Neto were the only three
players who managed to survive
from the crash. The team’s main

goalkeeper, Marcos “Danilo”
Padilha, also initially survived the
crash and was sent to the hospital,
however, he soon succumbed to
his injuries and died.
Chapecoense was traveling to
Colombia to face off against Atlético Nacional on Wednesday, Nov.
30, in the first leg of their Copa
Sudamericana final matchup, the
second biggest international club
competition in South America.
Chapecoense, who plays in the
top-tier Brazilian soccer league,
Serie A, managed to qualify for
the final of the Copa Sudamericana on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
The matchup against Atlético

AP Photo

Nacional was set to be the biggest soccer match in team history for Chapecoense. The team,
founded only 43 years ago, comes
from the impoverished city of
Chapeco, in the south Brazilian
state of Santa Catarina.
It was only as far back as 2009
when the team was still playing in
the fourth-tier of Brazilian soccer.
At that level, teams are not even
considered to be semi-professional. The team managed to gain
promotion to the third-level, Serie
C, and then to the second-level
Serie B in 2012. After one season,
Chapecoense was promoted to the
top-tier Serie A.

In only five seasons, the club
went from being an amateur team
to playing and competing in the
same league as some of Brazil’s
most famous soccer teams. They
went from sharing the field with
players who were not professional
to playing with former Brazilian
greats such as Ronaldinho. Only
one word could describe the journey of the club — fairytale.
The Copa Sudamericana
matchup was to be the pinnacle
of the team’s fairytale. Now all
of that will be remembered as
what could have been and how
much these two matches meant
to the players and the community
they represented.
“The dream is over,” said Plinio David de Nes Filho, chairman
of the club’s board, to Brazil’s TV
Globo. “Yesterday morning I was
saying goodbye to them. They
told me they were going in search
of the dream, to make this dream
a reality. Now, it’s gone.”
Since the horrific crash, there
has been an outpour of support for
the club. All South American soccer matches that were to be held
that week were suspended. Many
Brazilian soccer teams took to social media and changed their profile pictures to a black version of
the Chapecoense logo while also
offering to loan their club players from their teams. Many teams
also called for the Confederação

Brasileira de Futebol to exempt
Chapecoense from relegation for
three seasons so the club could
properly get back on its feet.
Support for the club also extended beyond South America with
moments of silence before matches
around the world. Many teams also
wore black armbands, while several Brazilian players playing abroad
commented about the tragedy.
Finally, on Wednesday, Nov.
30, the day in which Chapecoense
were supposed to play against
Atlético Nacional, more than
45,000 fans arrived at the Estadio
Atanasio Girardot, the stadium the
match would have been held at, in
order to honor those who lost their
lives. Shouting and chanting in the
same vein as they do for their own
team, the Atlético Nacional fans
started to sing “Força Chape.”
Meanwhile, FOX Sports Brasil honored the journalists who
worked for the network and who
were on the ill-fated plane, decided to broadcast a black screen
that said #90MinutesofSilence
during the time the match would
have taken place.
In the end, nothing can be done
to bring those who were lost, but it
is through thes e tributes that they
will be remembered. For Chapecoense, the only thing they can do
is move forward. They can do this
knowing that the entire soccer and
sports world are behind them.

Cooper / Striving for success
Want to be on the
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other side of this paper?
side of this paper?
We have a number of
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continued from page 24
Louisville as a team. Cooper picked up
her phone and sent a text to a friend back
in New Jersey.
Between seasons, Cooper increased her
mileage. Competing as a distance runner in
indoor track and field, Cooper ran a PR of
11:02 in the 3000-meter and 19:11 in the
5000-meter. In outdoor track, she ran a PR of
17:56 in the 5000-meter event. Cooper continued to run over the summer, as well.
Returning for the 2016 cross country season, Cooper beat her PR in the 6K by more
than 20 seconds. By the Atlantic Regionals
in November, her time was 21:03. One week
later, she was on her way to nationals. To
Cooper, it seemed things were “starting to
come together in a real way” after her legs
caused her so much trouble in high school.
Lindsey owed the success partially to
Cooper’s mental fortitude.

“She doesn’t get intimidated easily and she
focuses on herself and how well she can execute her race plan,” Lindsey said.
Cooper said her success came from the
training. Walker devised a training regiment
for her that helped her progress without taking
time off, according to Lindsey.
Walker believes strongly in finishing the last
one and a half miles of a race with finesse, so
much of the training was geared toward achieving this. Having a plan on race day, according to
Lindsey, is “paramount” in cross country.
Cooper’s ability to accommodate her new
training leaves Lindsey optimistic.
“My hope is she becomes a mainstay at
the national level and ultimately contend for
a national title,” Lindsey said.
In New Jersey, Allison Fournier received
a text message from friend and teammate
Natalie Cooper.
“Al,” the text read. “Next year we are going to Nationals. It’s going to happen.”

Cooper is the 2016 NJAC Runner of the Year.

Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk

page 22 The Signal December 7, 2016

December 7, 2016 The Signal page 23

LIONS

D RM
AROUND THE

Miguel Gonzalez
“The Ref”

Matt Ajaj
Staff Writer

Connor Smith
News Editor

Otto Gomez
Lions TV

In this week’s edition of Around the Dorm, “Ref” Miguel Gonzalez asks our panel of three experts — Matt Ajaj, Connor
Smith and Otto Gomez — three questions: Should the Ohio State Buckeyes be in the College Football Playoffs? Who will win
the MLS cup? Do you believe that the Philadelphia 76ers patience and development strategy is working?

1. Should the Ohio State Buckeyes be
in the National College Football Playoffs despite not competing in their
conference championship?
Matt: Yes — not a question in my mind. The
Buckeyes have beaten some of the best teams
in the country, including Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Michigan. Their only loss was a fluky,
21-24 nail-biter versus Pennsylvania State
University, which just won the Big 10 Conference Championship. The “They didn’t even
make the conference championship” sentiment for leaving Ohio State out of the College
Football Playoff is redundant and flawed logic. Ohio State did not make their conference
championship because they had that one fluke
loss. A narrow defeat on the home turf of a division rival that is currently ranked fifth in the
country should not be the Buckeyes downfall.
Leaving the second-best team out of the playoffs for such a reason would lead to nothing
short of a college football crisis.
Connor: No. 2 Ohio State’s place in the College Football Playoffs was legitimized with

a solid 11-1 record against college football’s
toughest schedule compared to Penn State’s
15th. Who cares about some arbitrary title that
no one will remember once the real games
are played? Penn State had a good season and
pulled off a great upset on Ohio State, but that
doesn’t erase the fact that Michigan thrashed
them 49-10. Ohio State was a better team that
beat better opponents, and the rankings validate that. If we’re going to judge one game

over an entire season of work, then let’s just
put Pittsburgh in the playoffs and call it a day.
Otto: Absolutely, without a doubt. They have
been among the top four teams in the country all year and, more importantly, they have
been the best team in the Big 10, even though
they didn’t win the conference championship. For one, they only have one loss, something Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin
cannot say. After that, Ohio State only lost to

Penn State by three points on a blocked field
goal attempt, and Penn State fell to Michigan
by a lofty 39-point margin. Ohio State has
a more explosive quarterback and offense,
leading the Big 10 in points scored. They
have been in the top five all year and without
a doubt should have been in the conference
championship if not for the division rules.
Last resort, their point differential in the entire year was a resounding 342 points.

AP Photos

Everyone gets 3 points for their detailed analysis on Penn State and Ohio State.
2. Who will win the MLS cup? The Seattle
Sounders or the Toronto FC?
Matt: Toronto FC has the home field advantage with an impressive 11-3-6 home
record. I would already cite them as the favorites. Then I looked at the Seattle Sounders
road record, 5-10-4. With these two facts in
tow, the probability formula heavily favors
FC. However, if I’m being brutally honest,
I know nothing about MLS. I quite literally
cannot name a single player in MLS. I keep
hearing that MLS is on the rise amongst
American youth, but I fail to see it hitting
the mainstream when American soccer lacks
the legacy of baseball and the excitement of
football, basketball and hockey. The sport —
or at least the league — needs something to
help it stand out from the crowd. Until then,
the average American will continue to draw
their attention to whatever dazzles the eye or
tickles the nostalgia bone. I hope that MLS
can eventually capture some sort of interest

across the country, and perhaps I will one day
be able to answer the question “Who will win
the MLS cup?”
Connor: The Sounders overcame a lot to
make it to the MLS cup finals. They beat top
seeds like FC Dallas in the western conference and asserted strong defensive efforts.
That said, Jozy Altidore is an absolute monster, and I doubt the Sounders can hold back
Toronto FC’s explosive offense. Toronto
scored 17 goals in just three playoff matchups. If they can drop five goals on New York
FC in one leg, I think they can beat out the
Sounders in a high-scoring shootout.
Otto: I think Toronto FC will win for a
couple of reasons. I always have a hard time
thinking the underdog is going to win, but
in this case, the Sounders are a resounding
underdog. Their goal differential during the
regular season was only one compared to
12 by Toronto. I also think soccer can often
become a game of superstars, especially in

the playoffs. Toronto’s roster includes two
former United States National Team heavyweights, Michael Bradley and Altidore as
well as last year’s MLS MVP Sebastian
Giovinco. These guys know the stage and
the pressure and will be very successful in
the Cup match on Saturday, Dec. 10. While

the Sounders house big name players, they
have barely squeaked through the playoffs.
Aside from their 3-0 victory against FC Dallas in the first leg of the Western Conference
semifinals, the rest of their four games have
been decided by one goal. I think Toronto
will come out on top, 2-0.

AP Photo

Otto gets 3 points for mentioning Bradley and Altidore. Connor gets 2 points because Toronto FC does have an explosive offense. Matthew gets 1 point for writing off topic.
3. Do you believe that the Philadelphia 76ers patience and development
strategy is working?
Matt: The 76ers are 4-16, which is good for
last place in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia’s season records of the past three seasons, in chronological order, are 19-63, 18-64
and 10-72. We have been told to “Trust the
process,” which requires tanking seasons in
order to acquire better draft picks. In many

AP Photo

instances, this strategy of suffering in the present in order to create a better future actually
works quite well. Take a doctor, for example.
Throughout their 20s, the life of an aspiring
doctor is miserable. However, upon acquiring a medical degree, they will presumably be
set for life. Sounds great, but easier said than
done. However, in sports, this mentality does
not work. Losing here and there can serve as
a reality check and inspiration to improve. But
continuous losing while expressing no desire
to change or progress is downright cancerous
to a team. Once you become numb to losing,
you become fine with losing and lose the will
to win. That’s exactly what’s happening to the
76ers — no matter how much they stack their
roster, the organization has become apathetic
to losing. So the desire to win — and thus their
likelihood to win — has been quashed.
Connor: The NBA is in a weird position. If
you don’t have two or three superstars, you
have no chance against the likes of LeBron
James or the Golden State Warriors. Given
the 76ers position as a loser, the promise
Joel Embiid has shown, and the recovery of
Ben Simmons, the Sixers are in a position
to grow. Compare that to a team that still
tries to piece together winning rosters, like
the Knicks, and you start to see the process

having some merit. The Knicks are bad.
They’ve been bad, and they will be bad for
the foreseeable future. At least the Sixers
have something to look forward to, though.
If it falls apart... oh well. They weren’t going to win anything anyway.
Otto: Without a doubt, Embiid is the real
thing — no one can deny that. Simmons is
going to be incredible. They have already
shown great glimpses into what their possible future. More importantly, they have
shown that they are going to have to make
roster moves to get more assets, trading

Nerlens Noel and possibly even Joel Okafor
in the near future. When Simmons comes
back, they will be able to shoot and score in
transition. However, the development stage
is not over. With this season not panning out
well, they will have a top-five lottery pick
once again. They will also most likely get
the Lakers first round pick because it is only
protected for the first three picks as well as
Sacramento’s 2019 first pick. The latter is
incredibly dangerous because if the Kings
deal Cousins, they will be in tanking mode
for awhile.

Otto gets 3 points for his optimistic response. Connor gets 2 points because the Knicks
are really bad. Matthew gets 1 point because doctors and basketball are different.

Winner’s Circle

Signal

Sports

Sophomore runner journeys to nationals
By George Tatoris
Sports Editor
Far away from the cross country team’s usual stomping ground,
clouds lingered and winds slashed
temperatures down to a crisp
40 degrees in Louisville, Ky.,
as sophomore Natalie Cooper
crossed the finish line without her
team by her side for the first time
in the 2016 cross country season.
Cooper was the only Lion on
the women’s team to qualify for
the NCAA Division III Cross
Country Championship hosted in
Louisville’s E.P. “Tom” Sawyer
State Park on Saturday, Nov. 19.
The entirety of the men’s team
was also there, having earned an
at-large bid after a third-place Regionals finish.
Cooper finished 47th with a
time of 21:29. It was her last runaway success in a season full of
them. Even her older teammates
are starting to look up to her.
“Last year, Natalie did not
race at the NCAA Regional
meet, and this year, she finished 47th in the nation,” said
junior Allison Fournier, one of
Cooper’s teammates. “She is an
inspiration to me.”
The week before she placed
sixth in the Atlantic Regionals,
and the week before that she
won the New Jersey Athletic
Conference (NJAC) title. Getting to nationals came as a surprise to the sophomore.

Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk

Cooper finishes 47th in the NCAA Division III cross country finals.
“I didn’t see that coming,”
Cooper said.
Assistant coach Michael
Walker was more surprised by
the time frame in which she got
to nationals.
“I could see it happening later
on as a senior, so this is ahead of
schedule from what I thought was
possible,” Walker said.
Cooper previously played soccer, but did not enjoy it, so her
mother suggested she try cross
country. The new sport resonated
with her.
Unfortunately, during junior
and senior year of high school,
fractures and shin problems

prevented her from running.
Upon graduation, she chose
to attend the College because her
brother graduated from there, and
if she wanted to continue to run,
the cross country program was
there, ready and waiting.
When she first became a Lion,
Walker and head coach Justin
Lindsey noticed there was more
to her skill than what laid on the
surface. They knew right away
she had not met her full potential
in high school.
“The first thing (Walker and
I) noticed is she manages pacing
with a rhythm that showed she
would be able to push the training

intensity and not break down as
quickly as others,” Lindsey said.
Cooper was just thrilled to return
to her favorite sport.
“My mindset was just happy to
be running again,” she said.
Over the course of her rookie season, Cooper’s time in the
6000-meter decreased with each
race. Forty seconds were cut
between her first and second
6K, then 40 more and then nine
more. For her final race of the
season, the NJAC Championship, Cooper crossed the finish
line at 22:46, ending her season
with a new personal record (PR)
exactly two minutes faster than

her first 6K of the season.
“We were careful about her
training last year as a frosh, and
it took her awhile to build up
endurance in order to practice
and compete at a high level,”
Walker said.
Early on, Fournier noticed
Cooper’s success.
“Without being able to run
higher mileage last year, she
still ran very well,” Fournier
said. “I couldn’t wait to see how
much faster she would race with
more training.”
Over the course of the season, Cooper also became friends
with her teammates. She always
looked forward spending time
with them at practice.
“Practice is one of the most fun
parts of my day,” Cooper said.
Walker believes the team’s relationship is key to their success.
“All the women work well together and bonded in a way that
allows them to think big,” Walker
said. “(Cooper) has great potential at the national level, and I
think the team will follow and be
part of that overall success in the
next few years.”
Back in Kentucky, Cooper
was alone. As she watched the
men’s team savor their hardfought success, she could not
help but think of her team back
home. Starting the season, the
goal was to get to
see COOPER page 21

Cougars outlast Lions in NJAC nailbiter

Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk

Junior guard Cindy Napolitano
dribbles to the basket.

By Dylan Calloway
Correspondent
In the final moments of the game that
had fans out of their seats, the Lions lost
to their conference opponents, the Kean
University Cougars, 56-58, on Saturday,
Dec. 3. The loss came three days after a

Lions
Lineup
December 7, 2016

I
n
s
i
d
e

win against Stockton University.
The game was an absolute defensive
standstill, where there was no guaranteed winner until an attempted three by
senior guard Kim Dana was missed at
the final buzzer.
“I had an opportunity to win the game,
but was unable to follow through,” Dana
said. “Although it hurts losing the game by
a basket, I know the team will be able to
bounce back.”
Both teams halted each other’s offenses
with multiple turnovers. The only difference between the Cougars and Lions turned
out to be one player.
The Cougars were led by sophomore
guard Marajiah Bacon, who had a dynamic
performance. Bacon is currently the top
scorer in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. She scored a majority of the team’s
points with 37 and even hitting a buzzer,
beating three at the end of the first quarter.
“We knew she was going to get her
points,” sophomore guard Kate O’Leary
said. “It was just about how well we were
going to stop the other players.”
The first quarter of play was a struggle
for the Lions, who seemed as though they

Sports Panel
page 1

could barely hang on to the ball. When
they got the opportunity to take their
shots, it was as if a lid was placed over
the basket. At the sixth minute, Dana was
able to steal the ball and sprint toward the
hoop on a fast break. She then drained in
a free throw to keep the Lions only one
point behind, 6-5.
Meanwhile, the Cougar’s shooters, Bacon in particular, had the green light to take
shots from outside. At the end of the quarter, the Lions had fallen into a 6-19 deficit.
The Cougars had all the game’s momentum going into the second quarter. However, a couple hustle plays by the Lions and
several key free throws swung the tide of
the game into an unpredictable spot. The
Lions had fought back to behind by only
two points.
From then on, it was a race to the finish.
A finish that was only reached at the final
buzzer, where Bacon’s performance proved
to be just enough for a Cougar win.
“Our biggest takeaway from yesterday’s game was that we have to be ready
to play every game and come out strong,”
O’Leary said.
The Lions will look to defeat Rowan

Cheap Seats
page 20

Men’s Basketball
page 20

University on the night of Wednesday, Dec.
7, at 6 p.m. in Packer Hall. Then they will
go on the road to play against New Jersey
City University on Saturday, Dec. 10.